


The Concubine

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Complete, F/M, Period Piece, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-22 06:12:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 366,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2497502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I hope to present my husband, the Duke, with a Concubine" </p>
<p>Winter approaches, and the Duchess refuses to spend all the cold winter months in her Husband's Winter House. When the idea of bringing a Concubine to keep her husband occupied and herself free of her marital responsibilities, the fate of a Kingdom is decided.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Duchess plan

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All the Characters and places of the Hunger Games, mention in this Fic, belong to Suzanne Collins. All credit to her!

The Duchess sits at her vanity.

Her big green eyes peering at her own reflection into the looking glass; she's considered a very beautiful woman, tall and curvy, she had just gotten her long, blond, wavy hair brushed out by one of her attendants, another one had placed a pair of slippers in front of her feet, there is a slight chill tonight, and it won't do to get a cold now, she finally found the perfect candidate to place in her husband's Winter Home (as he insist to call it) to keep him "company" this season, while she stays at Court and pursues her own agenda. She just got her way out of a winter of boredom and isolation, and she is not going to chance getting ill, and missing all the fun.

In the past, she has used all kinds of tricks, lies and plots, to excuse herself from her marital obligations, but last winter, she had run out of ideas and pretexts to avoid a stay at her husband's favorite hiding hole, his _Winter Home_. It's more like a small castle, with many gardens, and an orchard, a large lake, and vast extent of hunting grounds, it's a very handsome state, but, seeing as the only people who go there are hunting parties, that only stay for a few days at a time, and are only interest in their sport, she had a very dull time. Both, the Duke and Duchess, mastered the art of avoiding each other, only having a couple of diners together, when it was strictly necessary during those torturous months. This year, whatsoever, she refuses to spend her winter hosting boring hunting trips, and enduring the Duke and his household, she knows how his service feels about her presence there, and truth be told, she didn't like any of his staff either. But her confidant, Lady Clove, had come up with a brilliant idea, in order to be able to stay at Court, and thoughts of that conversation are saturating her mind at the moment.

 

\---------

 

_It was a beautiful day, the plants and trees are still sporting some green, and there are a few scattered flowers here or there in the garden; Her Grace had invited her most trusted confidant to tea, so she could grovel about how much she was dreading another season away from the lavish Capitol and all it's balls, feasts, and vary other social activities._

_"My dearest, I have come across a bit of gossip, that I think could help as inspiration to deal with your little winter housing dilemma." Said the Lady Clove nonchalantly, while sipping from her cup of tea. The Duchess perked up at the meaning of her friends words._

_"Pray, do tell my Lady Clove, I am intrigued!" She almost squealed in her garden pouf of a chair._

_They were sitting out in a terrace, soaking up what might be one of the last few sunny days of autumn, before the sky turned cloudy-grey and the grounds barren._

_The Lady Clove, put down her cup and saucer on the small round table between herself and the Duchess, picked up the napkin siting across her lap, and dabbed her lips with delicately. Then her eyes darted across the terrace, scanning for onlookers, once she was satisfied with her findings, she leaned over the small table and pierced her friend with a mischievous look. "It is said, that the Marchioness Seks, has consented to a Concubine for the Marquis, while she's with child! Apparently his appetites are insatiable, and the poor thing can't perform as she did before... It was quite the scandal... She had refused to give her approval at first, but I guess, having a little bit of help in the chamber was necessary after all!"_

_"My Lady Clove... I agree the piece of gossip is quite entertaining, but I fail to see, how a marital spat between the least liked couple in Court can be of any inspiration, to find a solution to the problem of my impending stay at my husband's dull hunting shack!" Spat out the Duchess with frustration._

_"Oh, Your Grace! I would hardly call your Husband's house a_ shack _! I think, and I'm not alone in this notion, that His Grace has an impeccable taste when it comes to his abode! His Winter House is quite a handsome state indeed... But, please, accept my apologies, and do not despair, I'll explain my meaning more plainly." Said Lady Clove with an easy smile, and clear eyes, she took the Duchess' hand lightly in her own, and waited until the other woman had inhale and exhale a breath of air, to continue. "It's quite simple your Grace: just come with some kind of reason as to why you should not go to him, let's say, you have develop an allergy to horse hair for example. You can not be in close proximity with the animals, which are everywhere in a hunting shack as you so colorfully put it!..."_

_The Duchess extracted her hand as politely as she could, while trying to hide her growing annoyance and asked, "That is an excellent excuse for most of His Graces houses indeed, and it might be easy to maintain for a very long time. But I still do no see the connection with the tale of the Marchioness"_

_"Ah! That is the inspired part of our plan Your Grace!" Lady Clove was positively ecstatic now, she seem to be very proud of her plan, so the Duchess pressed her to continue._

_"Then my dearest of friends, do not let me stop you from relaying this infallible plan of yours" the Duchess, forced a smile and picked up her cup of tea again and brought it to her lips, as to keep her self from interrupting again._

_"Is it not this, the Winter of the Duke's 30th year?" Asked Lady Clove, sipping on her tea again._

_"Yes, it is indeed... How can I forget?... I'm expected to join him for the celebrations..." Disdain dripping her every word._

_"Well your Grace, as you know, it is customary to present a men with a... Lest say, unique, gift, when they reach this age... Have you put thought into what you may present The Duke with, Your Grace?" She dab her lips with her napkin again, and replace it on her lap, then look up to meet the Duchess' stare._

_"I have not" she responded, through clench teeth... Then she saw her friend's smirk, and her meaning behind the question started to shine through. Her mouth oped in surprise "Are you suggesting I present Peter with a Concubine?" She asked in astonishment, her eyes starting to grow and shine as realization overcame her. Her friend's smirk turning into a full blown smile, answered,_

_"That is exactly what I'm proposing you do, my Lady!" She scanned the area with her gaze once more, and then proceeded, "It has to be someone you can trust, somebody you can easily control, someone that won't dare overstep her boundaries and know her place. Once you need to go to your wifely duties, because, you will inevitably have to someday, she knows to disappear. She has to be clear of what her duties are, and is expected of her, and when the time comes her services are not required anymore, she'd leave without protest... No claims!" She said all this in almost one breath, so low the Duchess had to lean in to hear her speak._

_"There is one problem with this, otherwise marvelous idea, my Lady... Peter is not like the Marquis Seks. He does not seek physical pleasure, like the majority of nobleman do. We only shared our marriage bed the night of our wedding, because it was required of us to show our consummation in the marriage bed sheets... Such a barbaric custom if you ask me. Either way it was clear after he was finished, he had no more interest in spending another night in my company. Of course, he was aware of my responsibilities in Court, and I assume he was as relieve as I was, to part ways when we did."_

_She picked up a biscuit, out of an ornate plate of finger foods in front of them, and continued. "I have, however, heard of His Graces preferences. His late intended, was a very virginal, innocent, looking thing..." She took a bite of her biscuit and went over her thoughts while slowly chewing... Her eyes lost on the horizon, her voice took a serene, thoughtful tone, "He won't sleep with just any girl. We have to find an exceptional beauty, meek, young, compliant... Sweet... Vulnerable... Somebody who he will have the urge to protect... She has to be desperate enough to try and seduce him, desperate enough to do this without question. Where can we find such a girl?"_

_Lady Clove reached to grasp her hand again, "The odds are in our favor your Grace," she said pleased with herself. "There are a couple of girls suitable for the job! Some come of families who have fall from favor, and will do anything to keep their lifestyle unchanged. Just say the word, and I will personally bring the best looking ones for you to see!"_

_"Then let us not waste time! I will have to seek approval from His Majesty King Coriolanus, before I can proceed" the Duchess jumped out of her seat hastily. If this plan worked she might never have to visit her husband again! There was work to do, and little time to lose._

 

\--------

 

The sound of opening and then closing doors, broke the Duchess reverie, and brought her back to the present. She shook her head to rid her mind of her thoughts, and slowly stood up. She turned around to see a tall man with whitening hair, wearing his night clothes standing in front of her. His physique still showing signs of what used to be a very muscular body, in bygone years. She gave the man a sweet smile, and started walking towards him. She curtsied once in front of him, and waited for him to speak.

"Your Grace! Always a lovely sight to behold!" His voice a low hum, he offered the duchess his hand, which she took and kissed once, and then straighten to look into the King's face. Her smile never faded.

"Your Majesty, you honor me with your kind words. I only strive to please you my Lord" her voice was demurred and sweet, but her eyes shone with mischief.

"My beautiful Cashmere, you are certainly the only thing that brings me pleasure, this days. It is so bad that I will be deprived of your company for the winter, but we need to keep appearances, my dear... It will not do, to have my dear nephew spend his 30th Birth Day alone" The King used a fatherly tone when he spoke this words, but the ravenous way his eyes racked over the body of the woman in front of him, was anything but.

Sensing her opening, Cashmere smiled coyly at the King, and then said in a innocent, soft voice, "Oh, alas, my Lord, I have discovered a most unfortunate quirk in my person. It turns out, I, am allergic to Horse hair. I can not breathe properly if the animal is in close proximity to myself... It is such an inconvenience really." She batted her eyelashes and toyed with the strings on the front of her nightgown.

The King nodded in understanding, bringing his hand to caress her face "Oh, that is most unfortunate indeed my dear. And it most be such a distressful problem for my nephew, seeing as he is Master of the biggest stables of Panem... So many, many horses. I am so sorry to hear about your health problems... the question rises, will you stay in the Capitol and attend Court, while your husband tends to his houses and business elsewhere? Or will he be joining you here in The Capitol?" His eyebrows raised in question, while his hand traveled down her neck.

She closed her eyes, reveling on his touch, then she spoke, "I... I have a request, Your Majesty" she stutter out shakily, she knew that her husband will not send away a 'gift' sealed with the King's approval, but could she convince the King?

"Speak my dear, you might be in luck today..." The King offered with a smile, his hand now on her shoulder and on its way downward.

"My Lord, since I can't come join His Grace for his Day of Birth celebration... Because... Because of my allergies..." She trail off, and look into the King's face before speaking again, looking for approval as she went, "I was hoping to present the Duke, with a Concubine." She rushed the words meekly.

She looked for any signed of discontent on the older man's face, but only found... Amusement. "I'm assuming you heard about the Marquis and Marchioness of Seks, then?" He replay with a half smile. "Very well... You might present my nephew with a Concubine to keep his bed warm at night, as long as you do the same in mine. Does that sound acceptable?" There was almost no emotion behind his words.

Cashmere exhaled a breath of relief; the King's hand had reached hers now, he lift it to his lips and said in an almost menacing way "If that's all, my sweet Cashmere, rid yourself of your bed clothing, and provide that pleasure you so enticingly spoke of not a few minutes ago"

With that, she undressed with a smile. She had gain approval from the King, she didn't have to return to her husband for the winter. Now, all she needed to do was to keep the King occupied elsewhere and off of her, so she could have the social life she craved and had worked so hard for.

 

==========

 

"Your Grace, the Baron has arrived!"

"Thank you, Lady Trinket! I will go meet him!" The Duke stood up from behind his heavy rustic desk. Lady Trinket huffed in disapproval, but gave a curt nod in response.

"You do not find it proper for me to meet my best friend at the door, dear Effie?" The Duke asked with an amused smirk in his face.

"Is not that Sir... Greeting a dear guest at your door is actually good hosting... It is, the way you just jumped out of your chair, as if you were a mere boy...?... Well, it makes me cringe, and it makes wonder where did I went stray teaching you manners" her voice was shrill and haughty.

Lady Trinket was his childhood governess. Once his parents died, when he was only 9 years of age, he was placed under her and her husband's care. But, the poor bastard died of a heart attack,  trying to keep up with his much younger bed companion. It broke Effie's heart to discover it. They did not have children of their own, so she devoted the rest of her existence into raising the young Duke. She was the only mother he ever knew, so she was allowed certain liberties, that other people where not, for example, huff in disapproval and tell him off for his lack of decorum. The Duke smile fondly at his old governess, now turn Lady of the house in the absence of the Duchess.

"Forgive me my Lady... I will see to conduct myself properly for now on" he bowed and kissed her hand in one swift motion, then backed away from her and saunter out of his study.

Once out of Effie's sight, he quicken his pace to an almost jog, stoping in time to open the heavy oak double doors of his house, to greet his visitor.

"Your Grace!" Came the loud happy voice of Lord Odair, Baron of Quattro, and the Duke's best friend.

"My Lord Odair!" The Duke's tone matching the Baron's enthusiasm. "Finally!... I was afraid you had changed your mind and decided to not come!" He exclaim, while taking a hold of his friends horse reins.

"Your Grace, I would never dream of such a thing!" He denied emphatically.

"I apologize my Lord, I am aware of the Baroness' condition, and I know you probably rather spend your free time with your wife before your child arrives." The Duke gave his friend a sheepish look, "I just find myself ecstatic, when good company comes, and there is not better company than yourself my friend"

Lord Odair dismounted finally, and approached his best friend, smile painted on his features, "Peeta, you are my best friend in the world! Spending time with you, will never be something I regret or begrudgingly do. But to put your mind at ease, I have convince my Annie to join us this next few weeks. I think the fresh air will do her good, and the distance between both her and my mother will be greatly welcome!" He assured with a grin. But then his brow wrinkle together, and expression of distaste painted his face "Plus, I consider my duty as your best friend, to bring you news from The Capitol that concerns you and that unfortunate wife of yours" Peeta's face scrunched up at the mention of his wife.

"What is it now with my 'beloved' spouse?" The way he said the word _beloved_ betraying his true feelings toward the woman.

"The gossip mill says, that she has found you a pretty play thing for your 30th Birthday..." He said with frown and took the reins from his friend, he walked over to a stable boy waiting by and handed him the horse. "My wife, the Baroness will be along shortly, she comes by carriage. My horse is fine, but hers will need water" he said talking directly to the stable boy. The boy nodded and looked at the Duke for further instructions.

"Be on the lookout for the Baroness. Once she arrives, bring their luggage to their Chambers and inform us. We will be in my study" with that Peeta dismissed his stable boy and the few maids that waited by the front door. Then he turn to one of the maids, "Inform the Lady Trinket, that we are expecting the Baroness, tell her she has free range to decide on accommodations" the maid nodded her ascent and turn on her heel to find Lady Trinket.

"Come my friend, I find myself in desperate need of a strong drink!" Said Peeta to the Baron.

"Lead the way, your Grace"


	2. The Lady in Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters of the Hunger Games.
> 
> None of this work of fiction alludes to a real societal code of living. Pure fantasy, enjoy it as such!!! :)

The morning was crisp, the sun was lazily climbing high into the sky, but it was not enough to warm up the chilly breeze that kept on blowing away the few remaining dead leaves of the trees all around the hunting grounds. The sky was void of clouds today, and strangely, it was soft blue in color. It was deceiving. It made your brain think it was a cheerful day, when in reality, was the opposite, or at least it was in the Winter Home.

The Duke had woken early to have breakfast with the Baron and Baroness. The Baroness was to journey back to their estate in Quattro, immediately after their breakfast meal, the Baron would join the Duke and the Earl of Seam on one last hunting outing, and then take his leave to join his wife in they're trip back home.

Usually, the Duke disliked the days when he had to part ways with his best friend, but today was a special kind of terrible, today was the expected date of the arrival of his Concubine, and that knowledge greatly soured the Duke's mood.

It had been three weeks since the arrival of Baron Odair and his wife, three weeks since he first heard of Cashmere's horrible idea of sending a Concubine to him as means of celebrating his 30th birth anniversary, while she entertains her own interests in The Capitol. As soon as he heard the news of his 'gift', he sent word to his wife, refusing such a thing; he knew that back in Capitol, Concubines for nobleman were all the rage at the moment, so much so, the taking of a Concubine, now entailed the writing up of a legal, binding document, a contract of sorts, usually between the wife and the would be Concubine; it covered all kinds of aspects, from the Concubine's duties, the responsibilities and rights for both parties, childbearing (which most wives would not allow), length of service (this concubines where usually seek when the wife was either ill or with child, and it was expected to be only needed for a short period of time, until the wife could take over her wifely duties. But, there were open ended contracts), lastly it was stipulated some sort of payment for the concubine, some went with monthly installments of financial support, others just provided housing for the duration and provided a hefty sum of coin once the contract was fulfilled.

Peeta did not know, what kind of contract, had Cashmere come up with, but one thing was sure, if he were to break it, Cashmere would be legally responsible for the breach, and would have to compensate the girl, herself. He was not aware of what that compensation was, but he knew for a fact, by now Cashmere was probably the wealthiest mistress in the Kingdom of Panem... She was also the Kingdom's worst kept secret.

They had been married for two years now. The marriage was arranged by His Majesty King Coriolanus himself, for very sordid reasons. So it was no surprise, when Cashmere sent her response back, as an official announcement, with the ' _blessing_ ' of the King, which meant, he was obligated to accept his Concubine in his house. He, however was not obligated to touch the girl, and he was dead set on not take advantage of the situation, only God knows the reasons any woman could have, to enter such contracts. There was no way a respectable lady would be able to keep her good name and reputation after being a concubine to some snub in Court. He hated being part of any of this.

The Baroness Quattro was entering the room, and the Duke had to pull himself together, Finnick would positively let him have it, if Lady Odair's spirits fail because of him. So, he stood up in front of his dining table, and gracefully welcomed her to it.

"My Lady Odair, the morning sun will never be as radiant as yourself!. Please, come sit!" He extended one hand in her direction, while other one was locked into a fist behind his back.

Lady Odair took the Duke's hand and smiled, "You are too kind, Your Grace, I hardly feel presentable. Why, just last night I spied in my looking glass how big my nose has gotten!" The woman grimaced in disgust. Peeta opened his mouth as if to talk, but was interrupted by the Baron's response.

"Come now, my Lady, it won't do to counter His Grace's assessment! Specially when then man has spoke the truth!" He gave what should have been a disapproving shake of the head on his direction, but the playful smile on his face diminish the would be effect. His wife repaid him with a glare and purse lips. The Baron finally moved his gaze from his wife's face "Good Morning, Your Grace! Hope you had a good night's rest. You will need all your strength if you hope to beat me and the Earl to the choicest game this morn!" He exclaim happily. Finnick was painfully aware of the bad mood his friend was trying to conceal for the Baroness' sake. It was best to keep the Duke's mind off of unpleasant thoughts.

"My Lord Odair, a good hunt would be the only saving grace to this, dreadful day... I really am sorry to see you and beautiful Annie depart my home. So, I'll be so bold and ask for another visit, before the delivery?" He almost pleaded with the couple.

It was Lady Odair's turn to answer, she launched forward and grasped Peeta's hand "It would be an honor, your Grace!" She sounded a little to eager, and she must've realize it, because let go of his hand hastily, and looked around to her husband with a guilty smile, she explained, sounding apologetic, "The Babe won't arrive until the middle of Spring... And I am sure Mother Odair will appreciate the time to herself?"

Finnick gave a hearty laugh, and Peeta chuckled lightly at Annie's question. It was clear, that she was the one who needed time away from 'Mother Odair'. "My Lady, the honor would be completely mine, I assure you!" Peeta said with genuine mirth in his voice. "Please now, let us be seated and enjoy our meal!" He extended his hand as to lead the way to the table.

Lady Odair piped up, "Should we not wait for the rest of the house, Your Grace? The Lady Trinket and The Earl?..." She trailed off, and hastily added, "I'm sorry my Lord, I spoke out of turn... Again" she said bitterly, almost to brink of tears. Peeta had never seen Annie behave this way before, and he recalled his friend commenting   about it being ' _hormones... because of the baby'_.

"My dearest Annie, you have never need to apologize for your curiosity about my house affairs, you are like a sister to me! Please, do not be sad, I do not wish to be the recipient of your husband's wrath!" His voice was soft and benign, and his smile was so broad, the only thing she could do was to return it.

It was true, he had known Annie longer than he had known Finnick, she was only one year his senior, whereas Finnick was a little over six years his senior. They were his closets and oldest of friends. He loved them as the siblings he never had.

"To answer your question, my Lady, we will not wait for, Effie nor Lord Abernathy, they both excused themselves to attend to other matters this morning. The Earl was to wait for, and greet the rest of his party, they were set to arrived right before sunrise; and the Lady Trinket had, preparations to oversee... For the Duchess' guest. They... They are expected today!" The last part he said with a bitter undertone. Annie's eyes grew as big as saucers, she then jumped out the chair she had just sat on, and ran to Peeta's side, she threw her thin arms around his neck with such force, she almost choked him.

"Oh my sweet Peeta!... I am sorry I'm leaving you on the day you need me most! I wish that horrible woman had never crossed your path!" Peeta was so shocked by the Baroness' reaction, that all he could do was lose all composer and laugh as hard as his ribs would allow, he brought his arms up to return the hug, and looked up to Finnick, who had a matching shocked expression on his face. His friend finally shook himself out off his stupor and joined in the laughter. They had not laughed like this since childhood. Peeta needed this more than anything, and the realization of this, brought a bout of regret to pool in his stomach again.

His friends were to leave in a few hours time, and he was going to be left alone with an unwanted Concubine. Finnick, stood from his chair, and reached the embracing friends, he lightly tap his wife's shoulder, and pried her arms away from Peeta's neck as softly as he could, "My Love, Peeta's face is reaching a puce color, that is not very favorable to anybody's completion" the Baron said sweetly.

Annie released her hold, and apologized looking sheepish. The couple return to their places, and finally tucked into the magnificent spread in front of them. It was indeed a most sad day for Peeta.

 

 

=========

 

 

"All I am saying is... Do not be hasty in forming an opinion about the girl, before having heard all the facts! Many a reasonable man, have been guilty of mis judgement, for lack of information, my friend" said the Baron vehemently. He was one to upheld the whole 'benefit of a doubt' notion. He was usually defending people he did know nothing about, just for sake of fairness, it not always worked in his favor. But, he was a smart man, either way, so, he never said anything that could land him into trouble. At the moment, he was pushing for Peeta to at least strike a friendship with his Concubine, which Peeta was too intent on ignoring as much as he could.

"Boy, if I was in your position... I would be suspicious of anything that came, from that harpy Cashmere!" Spat Earl Abernathy, he had no qualms expressing his dislike for the Duchess. "But, the Baron do have a point." He ventured, "A woman has to be in a desperate position to agree to be someone's public mistress... Except for that whor..."

"Thank you, my Lord!..." Came the hurried yelp of the Baron, cutting the Earl before he could finish the expletive he no doubt intended to describe the Duchess with. "I truly appreciate you supporting my point of view!"

"Come off it, Odair!" The Earl grunt, "It's not that I support anything, is just a matter of being aware that other people have a shittier life than others, and are forced to go to unthinkable lengths to survive" The man was harsh, but right all the same.

Peeta, could not argue with either men, they were both right, and he, agreed with everything they said wholeheartedly, but it was still unpleasant to be in his position.

"My Lords, you both can be assure that I intent on treating the poor soul as honorably as any other guest that visits my House!" Peeta spoke with resolve, but then added more forcefully "I my self suspect that the maid in question, must be experiencing a great deal of desperation to enter into a contract with the Duchess. Knowing the woman, she must've preyed on the most vulnerable of maid's... I do not expect my wife to have done any of her choosing out of the goodness of her heart. She is too calculating for that." He said bitterly through clench teeth. He finish by stating "I refused to become a piece in anyone's game! This girl, whoever she is, will be treated with respect!"

The Baron released a heavy sigh, before saying, "I am most sorry, Peeta my friend. I, like Annie, am terribly sorry to leave you to face your first encounter with your... 'Guest'" All of them refused to call her, concubine. "But, I find it serendipitous, that the Earl has arrive, when I'm to depart!" He said this and threw the Earl a knowing look, his lips fighting to keep the looming smile hidden.

The Earl absolutely dislike hunting, but, as Effie is the only Mother figure Peeta has known, Earl Abernathy is the closest thing to a Father he now has.

The Earl and the old Duke (Peeta's father) had been best friends since their youth. When the Duke died, the Earl took the young heir under his wing, and became some sort of mentor to the new Duke.

The Earl, wave a hand dismissively and counter "I needed fresh air... a holiday. Figured it was a good time as any..." he kept his eyes trained ahead. The other two men smirk to each other, but said nothing.

They were making their way back to the House, with nothing to show for, since they turned their hunting outing into a leisurely horse back ride, ignoring all the bounty the forest had to offer. It was early afternoon, the sun was still high, but had already started it's descend, the time for the Baron's departure was near.

The House came into view, and Peeta's stomach twisted uncomfortably, when a carriage pass them by, it was just leaving the House,  which meant, that his guest must have arrived at last. His companions no doubt reached the same conclusion, as they both shifted on their mounts and made little noises of unrest.

"I'll take your horses to the stables... You go in and... Uh... Do, whatever it is you need to do?" He finished lamely. "I will be waiting at the front to see you off, Lord Odair" He said slowly, regret in every word. Finnick only nodded.

Lord Abernathy said, "Take your time boy. It will not do, for you to show your dislike of the situation so openly" his words where soft but firm.

Once the three men reached the front entrance of the house, dismounted and handed the reins to the Duke, who waved his stable boy away good naturally. "Thank you Kip, I will take care of this ones, but, I will need you to prepare the Baron's horse for his journey. Bring it back here in 15 minutes" the Duke instructed his attendant. "Mr. Thresh, please have a travel pack ready for the Baron as well." He said to his butler, who stood right in front of the door.

"As you wish, Your Grace!" The butler hesitated before adding, "My Lord, the Lady Trinket wanted me to advice you of the arrival of Her Grace's guests" he waited for his master to acknowledge him. Peeta's lips pressed into a thin line, before inquiring, "And how many guest, are we entertaining, Mr Thresh? Do you know?"

"Three maidens, Sir."

"Hmm... How thoughtful of Her Grace... She sent attendants!" mumbled the Earl. Recovering quickly he added, livelier, "Well, my good Men, I will take my leave. I will go check on my own party. I will be sure to come say my goodbyes my Lord Odair" with that, Lord Abernathy walked into the house.

"If that is all, I will take this horses away, and come into the house to clean up a bit before you depart my friend. Feel free to take your time. Lady Odair is probably half way to Sea Breeze Manor by now. I'm sure You will be able to catch up to her carriage with little effort" Peeta started to walk away, but Finnick's hold on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

"You will be fine, Peeta! I feel it in my heart!" Peeta nodded. Finnick let go of his friend and turn to enter the house.

 

==========

 

Despite his intention of cleaning up, before having to say his farewells to his friend, Peeta had lost track of time, immersed in his own world, he had to rush back home in order to see his friend off. He looked disheveled and unkept, dirty even. And was certain he was going to hear all about it, once Lady Trinket had a chance to speak her mind. But, there was no helping it now.

Not sooner than he walked into the back door of his house, one of his stable hands ran to him frantic.

"Your Grace... Old Woof is finally ready to expire!" Peeta balked at the words of the boy.

"How soon?" Was his question.

"Maybe a few more hours, my Lord, but it is today. We all agree!" The boy said sadly.

Peeta sighed. "Very well then... I'll say my goodbyes to the Baron, and come to say my goodbyes to my old friend Woof... Keep him comfortable please, he is one of my closest friends"

"Yes, Sir!" The boy was gone.

This day was getting worse by the minute! Peeta was walking again, he looked up from the floor where his eyes had been glued since hearing about Old Woof, just in time to avoid colliding with a group of maidens walking down the corridor; four of them to be exact, one he recognized as part of his help. They did not see him standing there, which was fine by him, he was not obligated to exchange pleasantries with them this way. The tree at the front (including his employee) were giggling at some comment; something about ' _unruly blond locks'_. But the one at the back, wore a stoic expression  in her features.

He only had a split second to look at them before they were out of  his field of vision. He hurried out of his hallway and into the corridor to look at the stoic one once more. He only caught sight of her profile, but it was enough to tell him she was very pretty.

From where he stood, all he could see was, a long, thick braid of luscious black hair, the color of ravens, swaying slowly side to side down her back; She was wearing a simple but handsome, deep green gown. Her braid reached her very small waist; she walked with such grace, it was almost like she was stepping on air instead of the hard rock floor. She was petit and lithe. Her head held high, and hands folded in front of her. The posture of a noblewoman, no doubt. She must be part of Haymitch's group!

He finally snapped out of his trance like state. Pressed his lips into a line, and walked toward his front door, to see his friend off. He will have to inquire about the lady in green later.

In no time, he was hugging his friend goodbye, reminding him, he was invited to visit again before the end of the season and the arrival of his child. The Earl made a quick aparence, that was only long enough to say his farewell to the Baron and then he was gone once more. No time for the Duke to ask about the lady in green.

"I will send word soon, with the details for our next visit! Be sure to keep yourself in good spirits until we come back, won't you, my friend?" Said the Baron into his embrace.

"I will try my best!" He responded with a tight smile, and he was being honest when he said it. "Do make haste to catch up to your wife. And return to my house as soon as you possibly can!... Give my love to your mother!" They let go of each other.

"I will, Your Grace. She will be delighted" he smiled. Then heaved himself unto his horse. With a bow to Lady Trinket and another to the Duke, he turn his mere around and left the Winter Home.

Peeta turned to see Lady Trinket, who was now staring him daggers. But she will have to hold her nagging for now. "My Lady, I'm off to see Old Woof. I was informed of his failing health and possible passing, and I do not wish him to be gone before I can say my goodbyes to him... Please excuse my absence, to the Earl... And... Her Grace's guest if diner time comes and I am still detained"

Effie's eyes soften at that, and nodded her assent. "As you wish, your Grace. I am sure that the Earl would come to you and Old Woof, if necessary".

Peeta took noticed of Effie's stance: standing proud and back  straight, head held high, hands folded in front of her at the hight of her waist. A proper lady!

The ghost of a smile started to form on his lips. 

 

========

 

He walked into the barn, after talking to the men in charge of his stables. Woof's condition had worsen, it was not long before his passing now, so the men decided to give him peace and quiet in a stall in one of the empty barns. Peeta wanted nothing more than to be there for his friend when his time came. But, had abruptly stop in front of the stall, he heard the most beautiful sound in the whole wide world.

A Maiden's voice, so sweet and clear, he was sure that if there were birds left in the grounds, that had not been chased away by the blowing winter air, they would all be silent listening to her song!

_"... Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free._ _Strange things did happen here,_ _No stranger would it be,_ _If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree._

_Are you, Are you Coming to the tree                                         Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.                       Strange things did happen here, No stranger would it be,                     If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."_

She was quiet after that, he most have caught the end tail of her song, then.

He was mesmerized by her voice, but now that she was done singing, he regain movement of his legs. He inched his way into Woof's stall, and was shocked to find his Lady in Green crouched next to his dying friend.

Woof seem to be as mesmerized as he was... His men had said that Woof's breathing was labored, and they thought he most be in pain, because he kept on whining wretchedly. But apparently her voice was medicinal as well as beautiful, for his old friend was calm and quiet.

Her hand was on Woof's head, scratching behind his ear tenderly, as if she had known the animal her whole life. Woof's breaths were short and shallow, but then Peeta came into his line of sight and started to try to get up, probably to reach his friend, and the pitiful whining and labored breathing picked up.

She turned around with a start, startling Peeta in turn, making him lose his footing, embarrassingly landing him into a big pail of animal drinking water.

The Lady in green (as he dubbed her for the time being), shot up and ran to him as fast as she could; she grabbed his forearm, the one that was in the air, and pull up with all her might, while frantically issuing apologies left and right.

It truly was and embarrassing situation for the both of them. It would actually be a funny sight, if Woof's cries where not filling the whole barn.

A host of running stable hands, appeared to help as well, but once he was on his feet he shooed them all away. "Am fine, my friends. Do not worry yourselves. Go back to your current activities" They all nodded and left, without a word.

The Lady in green was also making her retreat, taking advantage of the commotion, she surely thought she could slip away unnoticed, but Peeta would not have it. He spoke loudly, "My Lady! If I am so bold, may I learn the name of the maid that has manage to remind me to not creep up on unsuspecting maidens when they tend to the ill?" His voice was hopeful.

She, stopped at his request, a second's hesitation before turning to face him once again. He could now see her full face, and he was wrong on his assumption of her being pretty, for she was absolutely and irrefutably breathtaking, she was gorgeous, with very delicate features; her skin had an exotic shade to it, olive, like sun kissed. Her cheeks were tainted a pretty pink, no doubt from embarrassment. She didn't seem the kind to abused rouge like the women in Capitol did.

"You do not need to run off, my Lady. I am truly sorry I frighten you" he said with a smile, in hopes to encourage her to speak to him.

She stepped away from the door she was about to exit from, "No sir..." she shook her head in a negative signal, and spoke shyly "I'm not... I am not a Lady" she, looked up at Peeta, who was speechless. She continued, "Nor am I frighten. My Name is Katniss Everdeen, and I am not of noble birth. If I was, I would not be here right now... Or at least, not under my present circumstances" This answered bewildered Peeta, to no end. So he ventured,

"So... Hmm... did you come here as a servant to the Earl's hunting party?" He probed. She look down to the ground, a scowl on her face, and said through her teeth.

"No. Not as a servant to the Earl. Although, if I was given the choice, I'd chose that"

Peeta felt dread creep up on him, because he was afraid he knew exactly who she was. He had to ask anyway, he was hoping against hope he was wrong. He cleared his throat, it was dry and scratchy, "Are you... Are you an attendant, then... For-for Her Grace's _guest_?" He knew he sounded pleading.

She shook her head sadly once more, and he felt the bottom of his stomach fall from him. Her eyes trained on her shoes. "I **am** Her Grace's special _guest_."

Peeta released a shaky breath... his Lady in Green, was... Well... His!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments welcome!


	3. Farewell my Old friend, thank you for my New friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters of the Hunger Games. I just enjoy seeing them in different scenarios :)
> 
>  
> 
> Posting again because, I actually had to divide chapter two in half, this one is the other half. Hope is enjoyable!

Peeta had always loved the Winter Home, it was the last place he remembered being happy, along both his parents.

The house, originally was but a cozy country lodge, that his family frequented when he was a very small boy. The Duke knowing how much his son loved the lodge, offered a generous amount of coin to purchase the house and farm that accompany it. It was intended to be a gift for his boy's 10th birth anniversary, but he never got the chance to presented it to his son.

The Duke died four months before his child's date of birth, leaving Peeta to find out about his would be birthday present during the reading of his Father's last Will and Testament.

He truly loved the house and adjacent farm, with the surrounding woods, but he much rather have his family back. It was with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he took the keys symbolizing his taking possession of the property.

The feeling of receiving a gift that made him wish it was not for him, was all too familiar. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, the sensation of a burden put on his shoulders, and worse of all the feeling of impending doom hovering around his brain.

He knew, that just like it happened with the House, he was supposed to hate it, but he was going to be unable to; just like the House, he was going to helplessly fall in love with this woman that he really should not. Like the House, she was going to be his most treasure gift, regardless of the awful manner in which he received it, and unlike the house, he was terrified and disgusted with the prospect. This was someone's life, a person, not a building for God's sakes. 

"I am so sorry, Miss Everdeen. I am sorry that you have found yourself in this situation. I promise you will be treated with the upmost respect while you reside in this house..."

Her eyes shot up straight to his, and cut his speech harshly, "Do am I to understand, that everyone in this place, know what my _purpose_ here is?" Her mouth hanging open in horror... "And... How in blazes can you make such a promise? Do tell! Are you best friends with my host? Do you know the Duke well?"

He was taken aback by her outburst, and by how her eyes appear to be in flames, he was too far to tell her eye color, but he felt the burn of her angry stare all the same. He was also surprise by the fact, that she did not know who He was. ' _It surely is my dishevel appearance_ ' he reasons, ' _that and the very un gentlemanly way I'm sitting on this filthy kennel floor... Does not exactly scream: His Grace, Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch_!' He did not correct her, as to not embarrass her further.

He suspected she would close up and flee once she discovered who he really was, anyway, her ignorance was more a blessing than a hindrance. "I can say with property, that I do know the Duke quite well, and I can assure you, he will be a proper gentleman toward you, miss Everdeen. Do not doubt my words, I beg of you!" His words were firm, but he still pleaded at the end.

Before she could answer, a pitiful whine came from the stall in front of Peeta, and he was reminded the reason he was standing there. He quickly enter the stall and sat next to his friend.

"My dear Woof, I am here. I apologize for making you wait so long." He then picked him up and held him in his arms.

Katniss approached the stall, and look at Peeta quizzically, "His name is Woof? Not very creative for a Hound!" She immediately stiffen, and hastily said, "I'm sorry... It was poor manners to teased you both under the circumstances... I Apologize to you Woof" she avoided eye contact with Peeta, but now, that she was closer he could make out the shade of her eyes, they were a silvery grey color. It suit her perfectly. "I... Am, also sorry for losing my temper earlier. You did not deserve my irate and harsh words. I do apologized"

Peeta, looked at her with soft eyes and whispered, "No harm done. I understand how hard this must be for you." After a long pause, he smiled sheepishly and turn his gaze away "I gave him the name. He was my first dog, and I thought it was clever... Or was it, maybe funny? I don't recall anymore. He's been my companion for 15 years. And now is time for him to rest!" He said all this watching the dog in his arms fondly. The dog lifted his snout, and gave his master a wet sloppy kiss, before laying down against his chest again.

"Oh... So... Is it your duty to watch over the dogs?" She stood on the tip of her toes, peeking her head over the top of the stall wall while her hands grabbed the edge of the wall for support, and asked a little too eager. Then as fast as she had stood on her toes, she came down. Another scowl on her face, "Sorry! My mother would be mortified if she could see me. I seem to keep on demonstrating my lack of manners, Mr... Um... I, I do not think I asked your name... Sorry" her voice was small and her eyes were on her shoes again.

"It is quite fine, Miss Everdeen, you can call me Peeta!" He said with a broad smile, "that is what my closes friends call me, and after you soothed my friend Woof with that beautiful singing voice of yours, I consider you a friend as well!"

She looked up, and smiled as broadly as him, "As you pleased... Peeta!" His heart jumped in his chest at sound of his name on her lips. He was in trouble!

He recognized this particular feeling. He never experienced it this intense before, let alone this fast, but he knew what this meant... He was a goner! His hold on Woof tighten unintentionally, and the dog gave a whine of protestation; broken out of his daze, he look down at his dog "I am sorry Woof, my old friend, I did not mean to hurt you!" Then he looked up at Katniss again, "To answer your question..."

"Oh no, please, no!" She rushed "Do not feel obligated to answer any of my silly questions! I just... It's just... I love dogs! and You seem so invested on Woof, and the way you are cradling him... It is just... Sweet.!" She ended lamely. "I should... I should go... I have bother you and Woof long enough, and I know you probably want your privacy, so you can be with your friend... He is not much longer" She said sadly.

Peeta, gave her a sad smile, "You are not a bother, please do not leave, I think your presence is calming to Woof, Miss Everdeen"

"Katniss!" She corrected him, "If we are to be friends, and I am to call you by your Christian name, you should do the same and call me by mine!" a faint smile on her lips.

"I'd like that, Katniss, thank you!" He said gratefully. After a short moment he thoughtfully added "Sagittaria... Commonly know as Arrowhead... Beautiful flower, edible roots as well! Whoever gave you such beautiful name, was really clever indeed... Unlike, me. Woof agrees!" He smiled at her again.

She smiled back, "You about plants as well?" Then her voice took a soft dreamy tone "It was my Father. He gave me the name. He was a very clever man!" Her eyes glassy, lost in space. Her smile faded when she added, "Just not clever enough." The scowl was back.

Peeta asked, before he could think better of it, "Was? Is he not longer among us?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Now she was sure to turn her back on him a leave. "I am sorry... I should not have ask such a personal question. Please do not be offended" he pleaded with her once more.

They seem to be intent on making this whole conversation as awkward as possible.

"Oh. No. I am not offended. My father left this world when I was but twelve years of age. I have made peace with his passing," she said easily, "But, now I am found in this situation, and I wish he had been clever enough to stay alive. You see, he was His Majesty's top archer. He taught many of the current archers how to shoot. He even tried to teach Prince Cato, but he lacked discipline and lost interest fast." Peeta snickered at this, he knew his cousin well enough to find this account to be truthful. She stopped when she realized the jab at the Crown Prince that just escaped her mouth, but he, bid her to keep going with a wave of his hand as if she had just talked about the weather outside.

She continued "You see, my Father was supposed to just be a hunter. But his skill was so great, the King put him with his artillery. My father was not a soldier or a man of war, but he did as he was bid, he was a very good aim and his skill translated well to other weapons, then came the firearms and cannons. He was moving a crate of gunpowder into storage, there was an explosion. No body found out who was responsible. Many men were lost that day." She finish her story, and after a long pause, Peeta offered,

"I am so sorry to hear that, Lady Katniss. It is a sad and unfair story" his eyes studied her features... She inched her way into the archway of the stall and crouched close enough to caress Woof's hind leg.

"It is. But, life has a habit to keep moving forth. So, there is never time to wallow. Not when there is a family who needs to be supported and fed!" This she said flatly.

"Is that how the Duchess coerced you?" Peeta felt anger rising, "Did she prey on you because of your family's unfair circumstances? That woman... She's despicable!"

Katniss looked up at him in alarm... Her eyes went as big a saucers, and jumped straight up, craning her neck to look around, she spoke harshly. "You shouldn't talk that way about Her Grace! Specially not in her own House!... You could get us both in trouble!"

That fire in her eyes was back, and it was like he was trapped in her gaze, he was totally enchanted by her, but her hurried words were  full of dread. He had to calm himself down and reassure her somehow. He forces his voice to even out when he speaks next.

"I apologize, Miss Katniss,  for  disturbing you with my comment, but, let me clarify something: this is certainly not the Duchess' house, she has only been to this place once, during last winter, and she hated every single minute of it. That is why you find yourself here at the moment. Secondly, you will soon find, that no one in this house holds any love for Her Grace... not even the simple minded sheep of the farm care for her, Seeing as one gave her chase when she came to close to their feeding patch, and another tried to eat her hat... In two different occasions, I might add. Although, I will not be completely surprise if the Shepard was involved in the attacks somehow." While he was saying this, his whole face relaxed and his deep blue eyes got a dreamy quality to them, there was mirth in his voice.

Then he focus his attention on her again, "But, I agree, it will not do for you to get caught in the middle of a conversation where the duchess is being bad mouthed. So, I apologize, I will stop speaking ill of the Lady Cashmere as you've requested" She had visibly calmed down when he was done.

His answer mollified her greatly. It surprised him when she spoke, in an almost stoic tone. "She did not coerced _me_. I volunteered" that took him aback, he looked at her expectantly, but no more explanation came forth.

He sensed that the rest of story, was out of bounds for the time being, he was certain he would not like it either way, and decided that keeping his questions to himself was wiser at the moment.

They both fell silent for a long moment. Woof's breathing was coming in softer now, he had not moved much for a while, and he looked peaceful in his master's arms. Peeta, leant in and kissed the top of his head while his hands scratched his ear affectionately.

Suddenly Peeta broke the silence with a soft spoken question, "Katniss?... Could I be so bold as to ask your current age?" He did not look at her, when he asked the question, but her eyes where studying him carefully.

"I will be nineteen in the spring. Why do you ask?" She didn't let up her stare, and he could feel it.

So she was of age, then. At least Cashmere did not took advantage of an underaged desperate girl. Aware of her stare, he nodded once, face an unreadable mask.

Katniss was twelve years his junior, but it was not uncommon in their society, for such a bridge of age between spouses; he still was not comforted by this notion, she was not his bride to begin with.

He schooled his features into a smile, summoning a pleasant voice, he offered; "Seeing as we are friends now, and friends should know basic things about each other, I thought I should ask...?" It came out more like a question. "Hope I did not offend you with my inquiry"

She laughed, and sound was musical to him, "Not at all... Peeta, you need to stop being so worried about offending me. I would let you know if I am not comfortable with a question or a comment." This he knew to be true, so he chanced a glance to her face; a small smile adorned her lips, and he returned it gratefully.

"What other questions, do friends ask of each other?" She poked.

His smile grew a millimeter. "Favorite Color?"

"Green!"

He laughed at that. Of course green! She cocked her head to one side in confusion. But, let it go, and asked "What is your's?"

"Orange"

"Orange? Like pumpkins?" She was trying to hold back a snicker. He chuckled,

"No, not like a pumpkin... More subtle... Like sunset" his voice was dreamy again.

"Alas..." She said with a sigh,  "Winter is not a very good time of year to sunset watch. But, I can see it in my mind's eye now! The soft warm orange of sunset!" She straighten her head, and smiled broadly at him. "Good choice!"

Just as he had come up with his next question, a female voice rang outside the barn.

"MISS EVERDEEN!"

Katniss stood up so fast it made him dizzy.

The voice came again louder, "MISS EVERDEEN, WHERE ARE YOU? YOU ARE TO MEET THE LADY TRINKET AND GET READY FOR SUPPER!... MISS EVERDEEN?"

Katniss looked at the barn entrance, and then back down at Peeta. She grimaced and wrung her hands together. He could tell she was nervous.

He smiled benignly at her and said "Lady Trinket is a very nice Lady. She will take good care off you. And I know without a doubt, you will like her. Do not be intimidated by her, she can be strict, but, she will try to help you and make you feel welcome."

She gave a small smile, but was still unsure "I-I should get back to the main house... I need to get presentable to meet the Duke" she released a shaky breath, and continued "I am so very sorry, I can not stay with you during Woof's departure..." Her eyes where shiny with tears.

She crouched once more and placed a hand on the dogs face. Woof being the smart dog that he was, understood that her words were for him, so his big brown eyes looked straight into hers, "It was an honor to meet you Woof! You seem to have a good human to care for, and what else can anybody, animal or men, want than to be surrender by loving friends. May you rest in peace sweet pup!"

Woof gave a little jerk of his head in acknowledgement, and return to his previews position on Peeta's chest. Her grey eyes now locked with Peeta's blue ones. The calling of her name could still be heard on the background.

He was speechless after her beautiful words to Woof, a heartfelt eulogy in honor of a dog she just met. His heart constricted painfully. In another life, in another world, she would have been perfect for him "I thank you for such beautiful words on behalf of Woof. Thank you, Katniss!"

Another round of calls, and she finally stood up.

She looked towards the gate again, and smoothed the skirts of her green dress with the back of her hands. She took one last look at the dog master and his old friend. Raised her hand and wiggled her fingers in salutation. "Good bye Peeta. Hope we can continue our conversations some day... Good bye Woof, may the odds be ever in your favor sweet boy"

 

=========

 

It had been closed to an hour, when Peeta finally released the body of his departed friend.

The Farm hands, had practically begged him to let them take the limp body from his lap. He finally acquiesced when the Earl showed up and reminded him that Woof was as much part of the crew of working men, as it was his friend, they would treat his remains respectfully.  

immediately after Katniss walked out of the barn, Peeta realized how sore his lower back was, from sitting in the hard cold ground. He looked around, until he spied a few discarded rags, towels and Woof's old blanket. He sat the animal down while collected all the rags and towels, along with some hay, and the proceeded to build a makeshift bed with all the items he found. He swaddled his friend in the blanket and lay him next him so their faces where leveled with each other. His arms closed around his friend's body once more until his breathing had stopped, and Woof was no more.

"Come boy. We will give him a proper burial in the morning. The Men had offered to make the necessary arrangements. You just have to appoint a site, so they can start digging. What say you?" The Earl's normally gruff voice was soothing and low.

"Thom!" Peeta called out loud.

"Yes, Your Grace" responded Thom at once.

"You are in Charge... Let every hand in the house and farm, know, that the burial will be held after breakfast tomorrow morning, anyone who cares to attend will be excuse of his or her chores for one hour. I trust you to take care of all the details" His eyes red and swollen. 

"I will do my very best, Sir" Thom, excused himself and went to work right away.

Peeta turn to see his mentor, and asked wearily, "Do I still have time to clean up and attend diner, you think?"

Lord Abernathy grunted something unintelligible, then shrug his answer "Maybe. Dear Effie will deplored your appearance right now, but a quick bath and clean clothes will do the trick. according to her maddening schedule, Supper will be served in 45 minutes time" 

"Then I better make haste. It will not do to keep my guests waiting"

Lord Abernathy looked at him with concern, but did not dissuade him otherwise,

"I guess not." he paused for a second "Come now my Lord, let us go meet that Concubine of yours, then"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most elements about Woof's death (except for swaddling, that was from my own experience) were inspired on the passing of my best friend's Boston Terrier, she was about 11 years old, had a very long history of seizures, but was a beloved pet. My friend got to hold her the whole time in a vet's office while she was dying, the way I wish I had been allowed when my dog had to be put down. I considered my dog my best friend, he was 5 when he died.


	4. Welcome to the Winter Home!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Hunger Games.
> 
>  
> 
> Back stories, secrets exchanged, and a some fillers, leads us to my favorite paragraph of the story so far "...Welcome to Winter Home"

Cashmere was sitting alone in a corner of the heavily decorated ballroom. She had done her round of mingling with the other socialites who attended today's ball, and was now resting her tired feet, before another round. She was debating wether she wanted to flag down an attendant and order a drink or walking up to the table laden with food and drinks herself, so she could do some mingling while quenching her thirst. Her mind never got made up, for at that moment a burly frame of a blond man, plopped down the other end of the bench she was seated on. She straighten her back a little, and changed her posture, so she'd be facing the newcomer.

"My Lady Mellark! You look more beautiful every time I lay eyes on you!" The blond man slurred, he was clearly well passed inebriation, But, she could handle him in this state just fine.

"Your Highness! You make me blush!" She said while fanning herself, with her red and black hand fan. "Are you enjoying the festivities, Sir?" She Continued affably.

"I would enjoy them even better if you were to join in my chambers, afterwards, Your Grace!" He blurted out, before releasing a burp. Cashmere held up the fan to cover her face, before she could grimaced in disgust.

"Oh, my Lord, you know as well as anyone, that while I am, His Majesty's favored Lady, I can not engage in any other liaison. Not even with such a desirable man as yourself... Unless, of course it is my time to visit His Grace." Pure contempt distilled from her every word.

The Prince either ignored her or did not noticed her jab, but he managed to get her undivided attention with what he said next.

"Oh! That is good then! I expect you will be free of the King's affections soon..." He said with a laugh. Cashmere, straighten her posture even more, and prodded the Prince to continue.

"My Dear Lord Cato, what ever do you mean? Please continue!"

Clearly enjoying Cashmere's adulation, he elaborated, "Well, your Grace, if Father can finally persuade that new maid, Lady Glimmer to stay around Court... You would be free! He has been interested on her for a while now, but Lord Crane has not budged yet, says his precious daughter is too young to attend court! The girl is almost 20 years old! The man is a fool if he thinks he can keep father away from her!" He threw her a broad smile, while she braced herself, for another question.

Batting her eyelashes, she asked in her most seductive voice "And if the King were to get what he wants..."

"When the King **_gets_** what he wants!" Cato corrected her with a smile.

"When, the King _gets_ what he wants..." Cashmere tried again "What do you think, will become of poor old me?" She gave him a pout.

With another laugh, he responded, "Your Grace, when the King gets Glimmer in his bed, you will be sent back to your dear husband and his hunting shack!" He brought his hand to caress her face, before he slurred "Unless, you rather keep my bed warm, instead. Which I would wager you do. I have heard the rumors that you sent dear Peter a pretty little Concubine... The Everdeen maid... Too bad you could not secured the younger one, she resembles Margaret in almost every way. But, the older girl... she is nicknamed 'the girl on fire' for a reason. She will keep my dear cousin occupied alright! It was a good choice indeed, my Lady!"

Now, this was information she did not have. She called an attendant and asked for refreshments for herself and the Prince, now that he was spilling his secrets, it was better to keep him well lubricated.

"Call me Cashmere, my Lord! I think that if you are right, and I am to be replaced with a younger version of myself... You and I might become quite intimate"

"I would like that, my beautiful Cashmere!" He replied happily. Handing him his drink, she asked, "Now, tell me more, about this _girl on fire_. Should I be worried about losing His Grace's affections?"

She was indeed worried, that once the King had completely lost interest in her, she would fall out of favor, her husband would have grounds to dissolve their marriage to pursue another woman. He had never shown interest to any woman before, so she knew he would not have any incentive to seek a marriage dissolution. It was not uncommon for nobles to discard wives on grounds of failure to produce a male heir, adultery, and sometimes the social standing of the wife's family, if somehow they fell into disfavor; While she was with the King, there was nothing the Duke could do, she was untouchable. But if she were to be found into a liaison with other men, that was grounds for dissolution, even if it was the Crown Prince, but she was sure the King would still protect her, he always gave Cato what he wanted, except for her, but if she was being replaced, she was sure the King would finally indulge Cato, and let her stay to him company.

"My beautiful lady, no man could ever resist you!" The Prince hiccuped, into his glass. But, the Prince was wrong. Peter had never desired her, he never wanted her; they only shared a bed once, on their wedding night because they were required to provide proof of the consummation of their marriage.

Peter, was the man that resisted her... And she had just sent him a clear message of how much she ' _longed'_ for his company. She had just sent him a girl on fire, and she was now afraid, that if he burned, she would burn with them... And all her social life of luxury, will go up in flames and smoke.  

 

==========

 

Katniss knocked on the door she was directed to, and announced her presence.

Lady Trinket's muffled voice came from the other side of the door, "Come in!"

Katniss breathed deep and long, and took a hold of the door knob, she exhale as she twisted the knob opening the door. She reminded herself she was doing this for her family, for the well being of her sister Primrose. She had to be brave for Prim. So she squared her shoulders and pushed the door open.

She stepped into a room... A study. Lady Trinket was standing, behind a simple, solid polished-wood desk, her back was to Katniss, she was writing something on a small notebook. She finally looks up, putting the notebook on the desk, "Miss Everdeen, you are 10 minutes late! I am Lady Effie Trinket, I oversee and keep the household for His Grace"

She sits herself on the arm chair behind the desk; it's made from the same polished wood, with burgundy cushioning. There are two straight-back chairs with a removable cushion to sit on, in front of the desk. With a flick of her hand she gestures to one of the chairs, and says, "Please take seat, Miss Everdeen. We have much to discuss and little time to do it."She said curtly.

So far, Peeta had been wrong. Lady Trinket did not seem very happy to be dealing with her. But, if what the young maid assigned to me as guide, named Rue was right about what she had told her, that following Lady Trinket's schedules exactly, was the way to get into her good graces, she was to a very bad start, by being late to this meeting.

"I apologize, my Lady. I should had pay better attention of the time. I hope this will not affect the rest of your daily tasks" said Katniss humbly.

Katniss' gaze fell to the desk. Neither the desk nor the chairs were ornate in any way, except for the rich fabric of the cushioning. There were a few items on the desk. A few paper weights, a pen and bottle of ink, some stock paper. Nothing to mark the study as belonging to anyone in particular.

Lady Trinket, graciously accepted her apologies, and continued somewhat less curt. "It is alright, Miss Everdeen. I planed to devote this entire afternoon, to you. No real harm done."

After this, she, picked up the notebook again and started leafing through it. Katniss took a moment to look around the rest of the room, the window behind the desk, took most of the wall directly across the door, the drapery matched the color of the chair cushions, but the fabric had some kind of design on it, she could not quite make out. Both off the side walls were covered completely by built in bookcases, but not all the shelves held books; some held little knick-knacks. The wall behind her, held the only  door to the study, and next to the door sat a beverage cart, a big painting of a beautiful landscape hanging over it... nothing else... the beverage cart being the only indicative that this room might be used by a man. She wondered to herself, if the room has been left simple and ambiguous, so guests can use it as necessary.

Her gaze returns to the desk, and Lady Trinket is staring at her, unreadable expression on her face. Katniss felt the heat of embarrassment rise to her cheeks, and She looked down to her hands, not being able to meet the older woman's eyes.

"Miss Everdeen" Lady Trinket says, "forgive me if I am being forward, but how old are you?" Her expression still an unreadable mask.

Katniss suppresses a sigh, this is the second time today she has been asked this question, does she look _that_  young? "I am eighteen, my Lady. I will be nineteen years old in May" her voice was soft, but her eyes have finally met the older woman's.

"Eighteen is barely old enough to be courted, dear!" Lady Trinket gasped. She recuperated quickly, "But, I am not here to judge. I am here to make sure you have a clear understanding of what it is expected of you, while at Winter Home." She sounded almost maternal.

"Very well, I understand you brought with you a copy of the contract, Her Grace wrote up for you. May I see it please? We will go over it together, and discuss it at length, you may ask questions as we encounter clauses you need clarification with... Does that sound agreeable to you, dear?" She asked expectantly.

Katniss nodded, and enunciated her response softly. "Yes, my Lady, that would be good".

They read the contract together, Lady Trinket explained the dealings of the Winter Home pertaining to her duties, she advised that she would provide Katniss with a daily schedule and, that she was expected to adhere to it. That in case she could not, she had to immediately inform her if any change in the schedule so they could adapt. Then they talked about her stipend: Her Family was to receive a weekly set amount of coin, grain and goat feed for her sister's nanny goat. As everyone had deduced, the contract was open-ended, which meant that the contract could either be terminated at any point, or stay active for an indefinite amount of time. Lady Trinket did not like that particular stretch of the agreement, and informed her, that the Duke would probably make some revisions later on, as he had not yet signed the document, he could still include or change stipulations that were left open to change.

The Last one, was most troublesome for the Lady Trinket, so she took her time to ask many questions.

"Miss Everdeen, you are a very young lady, and the main purpose for a Concubine, is to take the marital responsibilities of a wife, which include: feed a husband, keep his clothing presentable, mind the upkeep of the house..." Here made a pause, "and make herself available for her husbands physical needs." She looked Katniss straight in the eye, "Are you familiar with a man's needs, Miss Everdeen?"

Katniss felt a flush of blood fill her face. She was aware of a man's needs. Her mother had had a talk with her about the topic when, she had her first monthly cycle. But, she had never as much, as been kissed by a man. She might as well, be clueless.

She nodded all the same, because she knew the basics. "My mother, explained, about responsibilities of a women in the marriage chamber, yes" her voice was timid.

"Have you have any experience?" Lady Trinket asked uncomfortably.

This had to be the second most mortifyingly awkward moment of her life, the first one, was entering into this situation.

She shook her head in denial, "No, my Lady. I had never had any kind if contact with a man. At least not in that way"

Lady Trinket breathed deeply, "I see." She was deep in thought for a moment, before she continued apologetically, "Why would a sweet child as of yourself, willingly entered such a life altering agreement?" Her lips pursed, eyes full of sadness "You are smart, I can see it in the way you arranged your contract, on your demands... You have the presence of a proper lady, an admirable upbringing, that could make you a very desirable match. You are quite Comely as well. All characteristics of a suitable bride for a noble, even if you are not one yourself." Her tone was almost pleading.

Katniss held her head high, for the first time since the conversation started. "I volunteer in my sister's place!" She was not going to be ashamed of saving her sister'a reputation and future. "She is only Fifteen years of age, she is sweet, and naive. Too trusting for her own good... Her Grace, had pursued her relentlessly for weeks, she finally came to our home to convince our Mother." She took a stuttering breath, and kept going, "Our finances were all but depleted, we had no food left, and the Duchess promised coin, and grain and other things, my sister was about to sign the contract, but, I just could not allow it. So I took her place. The Duchess was not entirely happy with the trade, so I offered to make the contract open-ended, with no stipulation other than, termination of the contract had to be notified two weeks in advance and that three months compensation would be paid at the moment of culmination of the two weeks. I thought that if she was as desperate to stay away from her husband, having an indefinite amount of time with me under contract would benefit both, my family and her Grace."

She looked down at her hands, then. "I would do _anything_ , for my sister, even becoming a Concubine. I will serve His Grace physically when he requires it. As long as my family is fed, dressed, with a roof over their heads, It is of no concern what happens to me. I am aware of my purpose in this place, my Lady Trinket, I will fulfill it."

Her eyes were determined when she returned her gaze to Lady Trinket, who's face was again an expressionless mask. But she could catch the angry undertones when Lady Trinket instructed her to head to the guest room she was assigned, and get cleaned up for supper in 30 minutes. She was to meet the Duke for the first time then.

 

====================

 

Katniss was a bundle of nerves entering the dining hall, she is finally going to meet the Duke in person. The dread of this moment weighs heavily on her. She has to be in her best behavior tonight, her mother always pressed the importance of making excellent first impressions, and the well being of her family depends on how well she can please the Duke and his wife.

She takes a deep steadying breath, and marches forth. What she was not prepare for was the other guests at His Grace's table... Until she sees a familiar face.

Those deep blue eyes that mesmerized her and made her feel so out of sort, are unmistakable even at the other side of the room; they locked gazes as soon as she walked in the room. _Peeta_! She feels more at ease now, but she does not understand why, or how the presence of a farm hand would have such an effect on her.

Something bothers her though. If he is a lowly worker, why is he here, in such rich finery? she notes, the muscles in his broad shoulders and arms she spied earlier in the barn, are made softer under his fine garments, his hair shines golden, angelic even, He is so, very handsome... She stops short at this thought, although she already had a similar thought in the barn when they first met, but now seeing him dressed up and clean, he is certainly a very handsome man... ' _Stop it Katniss! Mind yourself!_ ' But then he smiles at her so brightly, eyes twinkling, like he has been waiting to see her, and once again, like in the barn, she has no control over her tongue or mouth, the word just spill out without her consent...

"Peeta?!?" She does not say it loud, but the way the room is built and how the other guests are talking so softly between themselves, does nothing to cover her voice, and it carries over everyone else.

On her periphery, she notices, the different reactions of the people around the room: Lady Trinket's head snaps in her direction so fast, she is got to have pulled a muscle on her neck, or the questioning looks the tall, paunchy gentleman Peeta was having a conversation with, is sending back and forth between the two of them.

Everybody else just look... Astonished? This is very odd!

Peeta whispers her name with a smile on his lips, "Katniss!" _He sweeps the man aside, and leaps forward, moving toward her_. A moment of silence, Lady Trinket's eyes are about to fall out of their sockets, and she can hear the murmurs of people around them.

He is right in front of her, their eyes never leaving each other. He clears his throat loudly, "Miss Everdeen... It is my pleasure to welcome you, to my beloved Winter Home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed a line from Mockingjay, which is written in italics. The words are just perfect, and they wholly belong to the great Suzanne Collins.


	5. The Duke and I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been itching to post this chapter. I'm still working on the next chapter, and I'm not sure when exactly I'll have it ready to post, but I really want to get this one out there, and hear what you have to say about!!! Loving all your comments!!! Thanks for the support! Keep on reading!

Katniss' throat has gone dry, finally her mouth had stop talking. Her brain is not working either. The only thing she can do at the moment is breath, blink and stare at the man in front of her.

"Your what?" She rasps stupidly, almost inaudible.

Lady Trinket rushes to their side, as if sensing her predicament. "My dear Miss Everdeen, proper protocol dictates that introductions are in order..." She tries to keep her voice pleasant as she steps next to Peeta, "let me formally introduce you to His Grace, Peter, Duke of Merch... Although, it seems you have met already?"

Katniss' brain starts working again, but not fast enough, she asks dumbly "His Grace?"

She blinks at Lady Trinket uncomprehendingly, who gives her a small uncomfortable smile and a nod of her head.

"I-I do not think I have met ' **His Grace** '" now her mind is running faster than she can keep up with, and her temper flares dangerously in every direction. Once again, there is no stoping her words "I however, met ' ** _Peeta, dog keeper'_**! Who for God knows what reason, lied to me about his true identity!" Her voice goes in crescendo with every word.

Lady Trinket gasps in horror, "Dear child! Mind your manners!" Her voice so shrill, it was almost a shrike.

Peeta lift up his hand to quiet her, "It is alright Effie, I can handle it..." He started contritely, gazing at the younger woman, "Katniss..."

"Miss Everdeen, Sir!" Katniss interrupted petulantly, and Peeta exhaled a frustrated breath, his lips in a straight line,

" _Miss Everdeen_ ," he corrected, "is right to be displeased with me..." He said softly, eyes downcast, "I do not blame her, as a matter of a fact, I take full responsibility for the whole misunderstanding..."But if he had anything else to add, Katniss would never know, because her uncontrollable mouth started moving again cutting him off.

"Misunderstanding?... Oh, forgive me ' _Your Grace_ '" she said the words with as much sarcasm as she you could muster, "but, the word you are looking for is 'misdirection', or maybe, perhaps 'deception'? 'Fibbing', 'pretense', 'fraud', and even 'lying'! Take your pick!" She was fuming.

Peeta was enthrall by her fiery grey eyes, he rushed to say, without even realizing what was he saying, "Katniss, we will discuss everything you wish to discuss, once we have excuse ourselves to our chamber for the night, I promise! Let us have diner now..."

In a split second, her eyes went from angry and fiery, to huge and terrified, to angry and fiery again as his mind finally caught up on what he had said and the implications of his words. He closed his eyes in disbelief, he had done it now!

"I did not mean... I... _Shit_!" He said weakly. He was not ordinarily a man that cursed, but this mess warrant it.

How could he be so stupid? He bit his lower lip, and opened his eyes, determination written on them. Before she could proffered a retort, He grabbed her by the elbow and pushed her backwards out of the dining room and into the hall, and in one fluid motion he spin her around so she was by his side, his hand trailed down from her elbow, until he grasped her hand in his and pulled once more, his strides where long and fast, and she was almost jogging behind him.

They came to a room that she could only described as a library, but she did not pay much attention to it. There were more pressing matters at hand to worry about than a silly room.

 

\------------------

 

Back in the dining hall, the Earl who was still rooted to the spot where Peeta had left him in, let escape an amuse "Hot damn!" He took a sip of whatever spirits where in the small glass he was holding, and a very affronted, thoroughly confused Lady Trinket hissed,

"My Lord! I do not think that is appropriate language..."

With a thunderous laugh, the Earl interrupted her "My Lady Trinket, none of this is appropriate! But this little exchanged between the 'new couple' just promises that this will be a very entertaining winter!"

Lady Trinket, crossed her arms in annoyance, "It is a disaster! That's what this is!... I have never seen him behaving like this before! It is not entertaining, it will be a very long winter!"

Lord Abernathy guffawed, "It seems, the boy finally met a girl he likes! I think my visit has just extended another week!"

 

\-----------------

 

He let go of her hand, and went back to the door to close it tight. He did not want to be interrupted, and this conversation needed to happen now, so they could move on.

He turned to face her again, "Katniss, I swear I did not mean _anything_ by what I said" he pleaded, "I do not expect anything from you, I will not force you to be with me in any way. All I want is to be your friend... I was not lying about that, I really do want your friendship, please, believe me!" He was almost desperate, she could feel it, but it was not enough for her.

"You lied to me, Peeta!" Her voice was higher than she anticipated, but she was so angry, he made her feel like a ignorant simpleton girl. "I mean... _Your Grace_!" She said with a huff, and crossed her arms over her chest.

" _Peeta_!" He said frustrated "I asked you call me _Peeta_ "

"As you wish!" She spat out, "Still, how can I ever trust you, or believe anything you say, if you have already been dishonest with me?" There were angry tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

He took a deep breath, and stepped closer to her. "I am so very sorry, for making you feel this way... It was not my intention... There is no excuse for my behavior, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart... I will do **anything**  to gain your trust, Katniss, just please do not reject me right now" the pleading was back full force in his voice.

One tear escaped down her cheek, and he could not contain himself, he reached his hand out to wipe it away, and said in a whisper, "I truly am an idiot... Or actually, I turn into one in your presence."

She averted her sight, willing her tears to stop coming. But his eyes, on the other hand, could not look away from hers. His heart was beating so fast it was painful.

He plows on, "It is, like my mind can not quite work right, and I have no control over my actions. My judgement diminishes greatly, and I say the most, stupid, awkward things..." His fingertips ghost over her cheek, before dropping his hand to his side, "My common sense?... It goes out the window. And I know none of that justifies my not telling you who I really was, or the very inappropriate thing I said back in the dining room..." They both cringed at the same time, "But, I promise, I will never do or say anything intentionally, to embarrass you... I gave you my word, that you would be treated with the outmost respect and consideration, by, me, and the rest of my household, and I was not lying. I pride myself on being a man of my word"

He took her chin between his forefinger and thumb, to bring her gaze back to him, his brow knit together in a serious gesture "Can you find it in you, to believe me, or at the very least, give me a chance to prove myself worthy of your trust?" His tone was a whisper.

Katniss hesitated, biting her lip, she asked, "What about... 'Our' chamber?" She swallowed thickly "I- I am not naive. I know that as your Concubine I am expected to share your bed..." A crimson tint colored her whole face, ears and neck, and her eyes could no longer look at his, "I... I just, I thought that I would have more time to...Adjust, maybe get to know my _Master_ , before I fulfill my duties to you..." She trailed off. Peeta crinkled his nose at the word 'Master', but her meaning broke his heart a little.

"Oh, my sweet Katniss!" He put both his hands on her arms, and squeezed lightly, "You do not have to fulfill _any_  duties!" He smiled at her "You are not required to shared my bed in that way! You will not be forced to become my lover! I will never lay a finger on you, I do not wish to stain your good name. If anything, I will gladly provide any affidavit necessary to ensure any gentleman that wish to have your hand in marriage that you were never... Robbed of your... Innocence" he stutter the last part lamely. He let his arms fall to his sides.

She looked up at him again, eyes wide open, full of disbelief, and something else he could not really decipher.

"I do not wish to ever marry!" She blurted out, he furrowed his brows.

"Why ever not?"

"I decided a long time ago, I could not become someone's wife and bear children. Having a family, will only bring pain and sorrow in the end." she stated flatly and waved her arms around dismissively.

Suddenly, something else registered in her mind. "And why will you not take me as your lover?" She blurted out accusingly "Am I not appealing to you? Do I disgust you somehow? Is it my age? Because I know for a fact of nobles that take even younger concubines than me... I know I am nothing special to behold. Not like the Duchess any way, I am not pretty like her, but I am eight years her junior, which I guess it makes no difference at all When you clearly do not care for either of us... but I thought I could persuade you..." 

"Katniss, stop!" Peeta commanded, effectively ending her ramblings. "Do I find you appealing? Nothing special to behold?" Is his turn to open his eyes wide in disbelief, "Not Pretty?" his voice thick, "I just explained the insane effect you have on me! You render me useless! And you still do not grasp the effect you have over me?... I can not control my breathing, or the beatings of my heart, let alone my thinking! I have only met you today and I am willing to follow your every wish as if it was law! Katniss you are the most beautiful creature in all of God's honest earth!"

He ran both hands through his hair, disturbing his perfectly combed locks. Her mouth had fallen open, during his confession. "The age thing, is certainly something that gives me pause, because I am 12 years your senior, and you deserve somebody younger, but at the same time, is fairly common to find this age discrepancies... So, no, it's not your age I'm concern about" he rubbed his face exasperated, he spoke slowly.

"I will not engage with you in carnal relations, not because I do not find you appealing and beautiful, or age appropriate... And God knows, it certainly has nothing to do with Cashmere, as I do not even think of her as more than a thorn in my side... I will not do you the disservice of taking you as my mistress, simply because... you do not deserve to enter a relationship that will leave your reputation and your future in ruins!"

He was firm and serious, "I will not allow it! I will protect you from that stigma. I will deliver you unblemished to the lucky gentleman that comes to my door asking for your hand in marriage!" He flitted  his eyes between the floor and her eyes, then, with a twitch of his lips, he added "If, that is what you choose, of course. I would never force you to marry anyone either, if you are so set on staying unwed. I know all too well, the unhappiness of an imposed marriage, and I do not wish it upon anyone. Although, I think you are being a little rash to come to that decision"

There was no more fire or anger in her gaze, there was weariness and maybe surprise. She spoke softly "You did not addressed the **_Our_**  chamber statement. Am I right to assume, that I am still required to share a bed with you, even if it is chastely?" Her eyes were not angry, just curious, like they were in the barn when she would ask questions.

"That would be an accurate assumption to make, yes!" His face blank of emotion.

"Why?" She was not accusing, just... Inquisitive. He realized how much he actually liked that about her.

"It is specifically stipulated in your contract!" His tone was matter of fact. "I am sure Lady Trinket mention it to you; after all, she admitted, it was the clause that disturbed her most. But, no where in the contract says how you should behave, or what should you do while you are there. So, you can sleep, read a book, or merely sit there in bed; you will not be breaching your contract, if you so chose to ignore me completely."

She raises an eyebrow. "You read my contract?"

"I just skimmed parts of it. I was actually on the middle of reviewing something with the help of Lord Abernathy, when you came into the dining hall, and took my attention away" he said easily.

A second later he added "There are a few modifications I am making to it though. I am just adding a couple things that I hope will serve to protect your future, as well as give you certain freedoms other... Ladies in your position, do not posses. I had plan to discuss the changes with you tomorrow, after we return from the funeral."

"Funeral?" She asked confused, then realization hit her, her eyes widen, "Woof!..." Her hand flew to cover her mouth, "So, he had passed, then? And you are holding a funeral?" She looked at him surprised.

He nodded, "I am! I consider him family; even my men considered him part of the crew. Everybody is invited to come pay their respects... I was hoping, you would join me as well... As, your first official ' _act'..._ Or rather _,_ interaction with my household" he said uncomfortably.

"I can do that... I will be there with you and your employees, to say our farewells to sweet old Woof" She agreed softly.

"I had plan to officially introduce you, to all my employees and guests, as the new Lady of the house, after supper tonight. But I guess I should ask your opinion before I do or say anything to my company" He was having a hard time looking her in the eye.

"Lady of the house? What do you mean by that?" She asked dumbfounded.

"The way I see it..." He breathed heavily "You are my Concubine" He cleared his throat at that, and she shifted on her feet uncomfortably "You will be treated like **_My_**  Lady..."

"I am not your wife!" She interrupted. "I am basically a mistress, you do not have to hide from others or be ashamed of..."

"I did not said anything about my wife" He gritted out angrily, "I clearly recall explaining to you, exactly how we _all_ , at Winter Home feel about Cashmere" The way he spit her name out, was tale-tell how much he disliked the woman "You will _not_ be treated like Cashmere. Not by me, not by anyone in this house! You will have free range over the Winter Home, you may consult with Lady Trinket if you find yourself unsure of anything, and you may heed her advice. You will take on the duties a real wife would be responsible of, and you will be by my side in all social events"

He composed himself before he continued. "Cashmere thinks she can play with people's lives, and you my dear are going to prove her wrong! You are not a servant, you are not a pawn in her game, you are the Lady of the house!" He ended his tirade with such finality, she remembered who He was. He was the Duke. Lord of this house, and she would submit gladly to his every wish.

She felt compelled to voice her acceptance. "I will do as you wish, Sir! I will act like your Lady gladly, if that is what it is you ask of me" She said with downcast eyes, demonstrating her willingness. He grimaced a little,

"I do not want you to **act** , Katniss. I want you to **be**!" He brought his fingers under her chin to lift it up to his own face, in a very soft voice he said "and please... when we are alone, do not be so formal towards me. I like the way my name sounds in your lips. Let us save the titles and formalities for public ears"

Her grey eyes, found his blue ones, and they stared at each other for a long moment. He was hiding nothing, she could clearly see the craving deep in his soul. She shivered a little... _how can he look at her like this? what does it mean?..._ Something deep in her chest burst with a warmth, she did not understand either. All She understood at the moment was that, she would call him anything he wanted, she would do anything he asked, she did not understand the reason why, but, she _knew_ , she would _never_ deny him anything.

"I will do as you ask, Peeta" she breathed out.

He gave her a sweet smile. "Now, my lady," he said playfully, "shall I escort you back to the dining hall? I am afraid that I can hear my own stomach rumbling, and I have to admit, the sound is quite embarrassing"

He offered his arm to her, which she took with a giggle, and he found the sound fascinating.

"I feel famished myself, so, yes, you may escort me back. Under the condition, that we will discuss this contract further once in _our_  chamber"

"Your wish is my command, Lady Katniss!" 

"Um... I do not have a nobility title Peeta, I already told you, I am not a Lady"

"It matters not, my Lady..." He answered stubbornly "After all, you just agreed: you _are_ **My** Lady"

With that, he opened the door, and guided her back towards supper.


	6. The Kiss of Fortuna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader Discretion Advice: Hard M at the very beginning of this chapter, but not quite an E. 
> 
> I will be changing the rating to E very soon though. 
> 
> I do not own any of the characters, I just like to write about them :)

"Oh, yes my dear... Your hands are like miracles, just a little faster." the male voice gasped, "I'm almost there... A little... fasterrrrr..." A grunt... Another loud gasp, and the King had released his load all over her hands. "Good girl!" He panted out of breath, and dropped his head backwards, finally tearing his eyes away from her, giving her a chance to relax her face into the disgusted grimace she had been holding back all this time.

She loathed doing that, it was humiliating, messy and just plainly gross; but, it was this or her mouth, and if she loathed the first  option, she absolutely abhorred the alternative. Normally she only did resorted to this during her monthly cycles, but this time, it was her little form of revenge, as the King was not fond of it either. He called himself a 'traditionalist'.

She had been officially informed that, that fool Lord Crane had finally ran out of excuses to keep his daughter, Lady Glimmer, from visiting the King's Court. The younger girl was expected to arrive in two weeks time, therefore, displacing Her, from her honorary, and very lucrative position of "King's Favorite".

But, presently, the important thing was the fact that, she had managed to leave the King heaving for air, and positively   satisfied, with only the touch of her hands... ' _I bet_ _the girl is a frigid prude, that will not know what to do with a man's member! That would show him_!'.

She was kneeling in front of him with a towel on her lap intended to be used on His Majesty, but _who cares if he needs cleaning?_ It is her hands the ones soiled. Her bitterness grows harder to hide with each passing day, but she had to force her smiles and pretend she was happy for His Majesty's good fortune, it would not do to lose his favor completely, not when Cato was still pining away for her affections, and Peter was busy with his own endeavors elsewhere... She vaguely wonder how was the ' _girl on fire_ ' faring. It was to bad she had no spies among his house, she really wished she could hear any reliable accounts on the matter, because all the stories she had heard so far, are as best embellished, if not outright far fetched, Peter would never foil down under a woman's thumb as she had heard! She sighed, while wiping away the milky substance.

The King, finally regained his breath, and spoke.  "Ah, my dear Cashmere! You are absolutely gifted in the art of pleasure!" He brought a hand to her face and caressed it lightly.

Cashmere docked her head feigning bashfulness. "Thank you, Sire. Your praise humbles me" She was gifted all right, and not just on the art of pleasure! She was also smart and conning. "I strive to please you in any way possible, My Lord!"

"Oh, I know; I know, My dear. I am aware of your dedication. It has not escape me, how you have always gone above and beyond, to keep an old man's good spirits up! You are such a delight to me!" He smiled broadly at her, like a sweet, loving grandfather, except, He was far from that.

But, his words made her hold her breath in anticipation, maybe he has realized how much better than anyone else she is, and changed his mind about _letting her go_! Maybe, he is trying to tell her just that. But, alas! That was not the case. The subsequent revelation, makes her sick to her stomach, but all she does is nod and smile.

"My sweet flower, I trust, you have been made aware, about the impending arrival of the alluring Lady Glimmer, she is such a joy, a bliss to be in her company. Her beauty... Indescribable! She is like a breath of fresh air! But, I am afraid, she has not dominion of the skills you possessed, my dear, which is a terrible pity." He says the last sentence with a pout.

Cashmere dares not to breathe, her fragile 'pleased' façade will crumble at any moment, and she rather it be in the safety of her own abode, were she could rage freely until she was ready to face the rest of the Court. 

Carefully she offers, "Oh, my Lord, she sounds delightful indeed. And I am most certain, with time, she will acquire all the knowledge and skills you favor most!" Her fake smile was bright and charming.

"Yes, I concur. But I think, mentoring is in order, my darling, do you not agree? With your vast experience it should be a breeze to impart upon her your expertise. In other words, teach her everything you know, dear" His voice dark and commanding, this is not a request, but a direct order, as is his next addition. "You will watch over her, you will instruct her. I think I would surely enjoy having the two of you working side by side!" His eyes two black beads shining in his skull, he looked positively grotesque with greed and lust. "Why, just the thought of it has awaken my desire!" her eyes travel down his body to confirm his statement  

"And Cashmere dear," He says with a sweet, warm voice, that was betrayed by his leer... His hand tighten a hold behind the nape of her head "This time let us see what your sweet mouth can do for me. It will not do to waste royal seed on cleaning rags or the cold floor"

 

===========

 

After much discussion, disagreements, attempts at bargaining, and the crossed words from a very stern Lady Trinket, both Peeta and Katniss, much to their chagrin, (albeit for different reasons, each), had agreed (more like, coerced) to host the Yule Festival, which was the most awaited event of the year.

Lady Trinket usually acted as hostess, during the festivities, but this year, she refused to do it, claiming, she had more pressing responsibilities to attend to, plus, as was dictate by etiquette the Masters of the house, should serve as hosts... Her exact words being " _Since His Grace, had so effervescently pose, there is a new Lady in the house, It is only proper for me to step down as hostess_!"

Peeta knew, by her dry tone, this was her way of telling him she was angry, offended and hurt, because the Yule Festival was her favorite event all season. When he was young, her favorite event had been the celebration of his birth anniversary. But after his 20th year, he requested she no longer made a big happening about it, and as time progressed it completely faded away. 

He wondered if by the time his 30th birth day came around, she would have forgiven him for basically placing Katniss above her as an authority figure for the rest of the house. Although, he does not regret his decision; in the three and a half weeks, that have lapse since her arrival, he has discovered, how hard working and savvy she is, when it comes to govern over a house.

Her ability to connect with his employees had made her a leader among them all; a leader they look up to and regard with appreciation. They follow her command willingly and even go beyond their assigned responsibilities to ensure her satisfaction... It's admirable!

Her abilities, were not confined to running the main house. She had also proven herself an apt hostess,  and was particularly popular with the numerous hunting parties that filed in and out of Winter Home.

The fact that her mother had spent the majority of her childhood teaching her and her sister how to properly conduct themselves in society, and the position her father held as His Majesty's main archer, provided her with two distinct qualities that contributed to her being well liked by Nobles and Workers alike: She knew how to properly address the Nobility and act like one (to Lady Trinket's delight), as well as work hard with her own hands with the rest of the Help (to Lady Trinket's chagrin), and excelled at both!

The day Effie had chastised her for having spent her afternoon grooming the horses, citing " _It is a man's work to do! And it is very much unbecoming for a lady, to be found with her hands soiled by mud and animal hair_!". Katniss countered by saying, " _The sport of Hunting is the main reason Winter Home has served as a favorite sojourn destination amongst noblemen. If I am to be of any use in this house, I might as well learn about it all in order to better assist our guests, that includes working in the stables and kennels_ ".

That night, while they were getting ready to go to bed, she confessed to Peeta, that her answer to Lady Trinket was only partially true. She shared about how her father loved hunting and had actually taken her with him during his hunting excursions, teaching her archery, on which she was quite proficient (as he later witness after asking her to show him her skills on a makeshift shooting ranged set up for just that end), she said that learning about hunting and running a hunting house made her feel connected to her father. So, he commission a bow and quiver especially for her along with a real shooting ranged, completed with targets the shape and size of real game, some of them mechanized to mimic moving targets. He hoped to take her hunting once she felt confident with her new bow. Lady Trinket all but fainted.

But, as reluctant and appalled as  Lady Trinket was, regarding Katniss' point of view and working 'style', the Earl Seam, Lord Abernathy, had fully embraced the changes, and Katniss herself.

That first night, when Peeta had introduced Katniss to everyone, his old protector gave him a pat on the shoulder, giving him a brief reminder, that he was there for him, to provide him with a pair of ears or a piece of advice, should he needed them. But after two days of silently observing Katniss toil about the main house and the farm, and after yet another public outburst of her, where she let Peeta know exactly how she felt about the injustice of his men not being allowed to receive extra tips from pleased patrons, after lending their services and job well done, it was clear, that the Earl had a great deal of respect for the maiden.

 

\-------------

 

_They were standing outside the kitchens in the now lifeless vegetable garden._

_"...Why, if a rich Viscount decides to be decent, and reward his attendant for being solicitous, how can that possibly be frown upon? Why will you discourage such a fair act? Plus, said attendant would therefore be aware that being hard working and attentive can go a long way!" Her arms where flailing about with her agitation._

_He ran his hands through his hair,  trying to keep his frustration under control, he seems to be doing this more often since she arrived... his mouth open to explain to her his reasons, but the argument was dropped when the Earl could not contain his laughter anymore. So much was his merriment there where tears tracking down his face._

_Both their heads snapped towards the man, when they heard him barked his amusement out to them,_

_"Boy! I do not care where she hails from! I like her! She has got..." He fished for a word with an exaggerated wave of his hand, before setting with, "Spunk!"_

_He laughed loudly some more, before he made his way towards them, and placed an arm around Katniss' tense shoulders, "Come on Sweetheart, let us go into the warmth of the house and have a drink! You can keep regaling me with your ideas and thoughts!"_ _Katniss looked confused and ashamed at being overheard, once again, speak in that tone to the Duke, but did not resist the Earl's pull._

_A few paces away from the entryway, he stopped and turn to address him, "Peeta my boy, unless you are about to go clean up the muck in the stables yourself, I think it is best you ran along to inform your honorable guests that by order of the Lady Katniss, it is now allowed and even encouraged, to reward the Help when they offer outstanding service... We do not want to go against the Lady's wishes now, do we?" With that he pushed Katniss into the door and out of his sight._

 

\---------------

 

That evening, the Earl approached him before diner was served, and pat his shoulder like he did the first night, but this time he had an amused smirk upon his features.

He spoke kindly, "You know? I think you have finally found your match! She can certainly put you in your place! I truly do like her!" But then a shadow crossed his face, and he spoke somberly, "To bad you have met under such shit conditions" he drained his glass completely and went to find his seat.

Peeta's heart sank, for he too had had this exact same thought more than once. He wished he had met her under different circumstances, he wished he was free to follow his helplessly enamored heart, and court her as she deserves, he wished he could make her his wife, he wished he could at least... keep her... kiss her lips (at least once). He wishes many things, but, alas, they are not to happen.

 

===========

 

"My Lord, this is the last of the invitations we are to send out, for the Yule Festival" Katniss said tiredly, handing him a box filled only a quarter of the way, with pinkish heavy paper envelopes.  They had been working on this list of guests, that needed to be sent official invitations by post, for the last week, and he was positively sure, he never wanted to see another one of those envelopes. 

He sighed. "Very well, give them here. What do you need me to my Lady?" He asked defeatedly.

"Nothing for now. But I will need the wax set to seal them shut." She was standing on the front corner of the desk of the library, he was occupying at the moment. He looked up, and saw her fidget with her hands.

They have been working closely together every day for almost a month, by now, he was certain he could read the tell-tale of her various moods, and right now, she was struggling with something. 

His eyes swooped around the room, to find the source of her discomfort. Leevy, one of her attendants was in the room, along with two of my maids, they were all helping with different aspects of the planing for the Festival. He surmised, what ever she wished to say, she did not want to do it in front of them. 

"Well, my Lady, I suggest you follow me to my study, where I keep both the seal and the wax. Seeing as the number of envelopes is so small, I think you can seal them all without having to bring the set back here. It should take no time at all." He spoke in his most business like tone. But, Katniss has caught the shift in his sight, and knows he is trying to allowed them some privacy. She nodded graciously, before agreeing.

"That sounds like a terrific idea, Sir! If it pleases you, I can have the invitations mailed out, as soon as I have finish sealing them."

He looked at her again, there was something in her gaze, he could not read at the moment.

"Perhaps we should give it a day, before we put the invitations on the post, my Lady. It might be that we review our guest list and discovered we had either forgot to invite somebody, or the contrary, we had written an invitation to somebody we do not wish to be present during our celebration." His words were careful, but their delivery was bored almost. 

Katniss looked at the other maids in the library, deciding it was safe to leave. 

"As you wish, my Lord. I shall double check the guest list and compare it with the remaining invitations"

"Good!" Peeta exclaimed, with a clap of his hands. He planted the heels of his hands on the desk in from to him and pushed up, to stand upright. "Allow me to carry that for you, my lady" He said pointing at the box, she had sat on the table a few minutes prior. 

She bit her tongue, to stave the retort that was at it's very tip. She pursed her lips tightly, for good measure. She was getting better at accepting help from other people, it was still hard for her to do, but she knew Peeta offered to carry the practically empty box of papery, because it was the gentlemanly thing to do, not because he thought her incapable of doing it herself. If anything, she was surprise at the amount of hard labor he allowed her to get involved with, in the farm, knowing it was frowned upon on somebody of her position. She was aware, and thankful, for the freedoms she enjoyed as Lady of Winter Home, and she was learning to let go of her wariness.

"Lead the way, my Lord, I will gladly follow" and she meant it.

In a minute, they were behind the closed doors of his study. He retrieved a ring with a handful of keys from his coat pocket, and proceeded to open the drawer in the middle if his desk, where he kept important items. He pulled out his seal, bearing the Coat of Arms of the Duke of Merch, and handed it to her, he then opened the drawer on the top right corner and fetched a stick or crimson sealing wax and a match box. He pushed all the items in her direction, then turned around to face the bookcase that covered the wall behind his desk, and pulled a candle stand with a very short candle stuck in it. He brought it to rest on the desk next to rest of the materials. Her clear grey eyes, had followed his every movement.

"There you are, Sweetheart!" He said with a smile.

She rolled her eyes, "Must you call me that? I much rather you call me anything else!" 

"Mmm... I wonder." He said with his index finger taping the side of his lips, as if he was puzzling over something. "how does: 'Honey bear' Sound to you. Ooh! I have a better one: Sugar Cube! That's the ticket!" He exclaim excitedly.

Her scowl was immediate, and her face showed so much contempt, it was comical to behold.

He raised his arms in surrender. "I am so sorry, Katniss. I could not resist! I just wish I could understand why it sours you much when given a term of endearment... It seems Lord Abernathy is the only person allowed to refer to you in such way, without suffering one of your scowls!" He can barely keep from laughing. But her answer comes quick.

"Lord Abernathy can call me whatever he chooses, because, first: he can not be bother to learn anyone's names, resorting to use a plethora of nicknames he can remember and possibly assigns to each individual, in second place, he does not actually mean for the term of endearment to _be_  a term of endearment, thus going back to my theory, he just assigns people _words_  he can remember instead of their proper names." She is mater-of-fact in her description. He can not control himself anymore and bursts out laughing.

"Oh my sweet, clever Katniss!" He leaps forward and grabs her face with both hands, and plants a kiss to the crown of her hair. He kept laughing against her hair for a moment longer. Stepping away from her slowly, he glanced down at her, mirth in his voice, "He does exactly that! Doesn't he?"

He notices how her arms are tightly wrapped around herself, and her eyes are a little wider than usual, she does not say a word, but stays very still until he removes his hands from her face. He takes several steps away from her. He almost blurted out the three short, but meaningful words, that have been struggling to break free from his mouth for days now. But, if the mere action of an innocent kiss on the head, can cause her to clamp up like this, he can not imagine what hearing those words would do to her nerves.

A thick silence filled the study, and in an attempt to diffused the tension, Peeta spoke, as if nothing was amiss, while getting himself a drink from his beverage bar at the opposite side of the room.

"The Earl of Seam! He is a good man. Rough around the edges, sure; but, he cares. And he actually does know a few of our names... well, at least he knows Lady Trinket's name!" He smiles softly.

Katniss made a little snorting sound in agreement. "I believe, he calls her by her Christian name just to see her seethe!" She pipes up a lot more brightly.  

Peeta chuckled softly, adding "I just wished the Earl would gather his courage once in for all, and fessed up to his true feelings toward Effie, instead of antagonize her at every turn" He turn to meet her gaze, drink swirling in his glass.

"His true feelings? What would those be?" She asked confusedly, and although she was already arranging all her materials to start sealing envelopes, her eyes never left his.

Peeta gave her a sweet smile, one he usually gave her when felt particularly fond of her, which happen often, when she asked something that hinted of her innocence, her purity of mind and her inexperience. Her young age shining through. 

"It matters not." He assured her softly, "So... Those are the last of the invitations to be mailed?" He gave her a pointed look. 

"Oh. Yes, finally!" She had light up the little stub of a candle, and was setting a pile of the envelopes next to the stick of wax. She shot him a quick glance, returning it quickly to the task in front if her. She took the seal by the small wooded handle and brought the metal engraved with the Coat of Arms of the Duke to the flickering heat of the candle. "Um... Peeta... There- there is something I wish to ask?"

Her voice was so quiet, he had to strained to hear her, her cheeks were flushing a dark pink, and he knew she was about to ask for something, probably for the very first time in her life, there was something she truly wanted, and right then and there he knew, he would give her anything she ask for, what ever it was. Taking a sip of his drink, he sat down on the plushes chair placed by the small fireplace in the room, and waited for her to continued.

After she was satisfied with the level of warmth collected on the metal tip of the seal, she sat it on it's matching metal plate on the desk, and picked up the stick of wax, and proceeded to melt one end. She finally let fall a few drops of the hot wax on the flap of the envelope she had grabbed from the pile, and pressed the warm seal to it, effectively sealing it. Picking it up, she fanned it around for a second before placing it back down to the side. She started to repeat the process, but this time, she allowed herself to talk. 

"Sir Gloss DeLoache, was sent an invitation in the first parcel of mail... He- he sent his regrets, not two days later..." She looked at him nervously, and with very good reason. Sir Gloss DeLoache, was a lowly Knight of His Majesty's, he was Peeta's brother-in-law, and the Duchess only living blood relative. Peeta tensed at his name, his whole demeanor souring.

She hurried to say, "He... He informed us that he was escorting the Duchess to a ball in the Capitol..." She could see Peeta shifting in his chair, about to lash out in anger, it was now or never. She dropped the stick of wax on the metal plate next to the seal, and rushed to kneel next to his chair, facing him, her eyes imploring, her hands squeezing the armrest of the chair.

"Peeta... I do not mean to upset you... In any way..."

He cut her off angrily, "Then explain to me, why do you speak of this unpleasant topic?" She coward a little, and sank to sit on her heels. He saw tears forming in her eyes, and his anger deflated. He took a deep breath, and spoke calmer. "Speak your mind, Katniss. I am a grown man, I will manage." She nodded slowly. 

After a long minute, of her just inhaling and exhaling, she finally was composed enough to speak once more. "I have noticed, living in the Capitol, how the families of some of the concubines, were allowed to attend certain festivities hosted by the Masters they served under." She said meekly. She did not look up at him anymore. She was frighten! 

He took a sip of his spirits, then set his glass on a nearby side-table, he took her chin between his fingers, to see her face, he searched her eyes for a second, and then stated.

"You wish to invite your family to attend the Yule Festival" it was not a question. He released her from his grasp, and her chin hit her chest, with downcast eyes, she nodded her assent. 

"Yes... But, I will understand if you do not think it appropriate. I just thought that... Since no one from the DeLoache house was to attend the festival... Well, it would be fine, for my family to come" Her voice cracked between words. He really was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself, so he allowed one hand to rest over one of hers. 

"Katniss" He breathed out sadly, and she mistook it for rejection. She pulled her hands away from the chair and his own, severing their connection. Tears started to fall softly down her face.

"As I said, I understand. I apologize. It was quite silly of me to think that it would be acceptable to..."

"Stop..." He whined, which took her completely by surprise, she was frozen in place where she was half way to a standing position. And her eyes did not hide her confusion at all. "You are hosting This party. You have work on it day and night for the last few weeks, you have met with the caterers, the decorators, the entertainers. This is your celebration. You are free to invite anyone you pleased!... As long as it is not an old beau! Which will not go over very well with the rest of the household!" he intended the last sentence as a joke, to make light of the heaviness that enveloped them, but it came out forced. 

And leave it to her, to chose to address the one phrase, completely missing the rest of the statement. "There is no _Old Beau_!" She stresses. "I have never even been courted!" She squeaks almost shocked, at the notion.

"Well, that is hard to believe, my dear... Are all the man around the Capitol blind?... I must admit, it will not surprise me if that was the case. I am quite grateful for their impediment, as awful as it sounds, otherwise you would have been attached by now" He said wistfully. She snorted a laugh.

"Hardly!" She spat. "Men in the Capitol are not blind, they can certainly see! But, to their credit, they had have always stayed away from us. Only one man had the nerve to call on me a few times, before I put a stop to it." Peeta's face contorted with this information. Of course other men had noticed her! She was stunning and smart and unlike any other maiden. But, before he could enquire more about her ' _caller_ ', she went back to her original request. 

"Peeta, you have been so generous with me and my family, by rising our stipend and creating that agreement with the bank for our family house. I do not wish to abuse your kindness, and I certainly do not wish to impose..." She paused, and sighed, "I really miss seeing my sister, although I love Winter Home, and greatly enjoy being here. I wish I could just see my sister for a few hours if possible... I thought to ask your permission... Do not feel obligated to allow me this, just because I have work on the planing of the Festival, I do it all for you, to help you!" She sounds so shy, is heartbreaking. 

"It is no obligation, my love...ly... Girl!... Kat!... Katniss! Yes!" He flounder about helplessly, his hand frozen in midair on it way to caress her cheek. He rushed his arm past her head and grabbed his forgotten glass on the table, yanking it to his lips he downed it in one gulp.

Utterly confused, Katniss looked him up with concern. "Are you alright?"

He stood up like a spring that has broken out of an old mattress, and combed his hair with his fingers. "Yes! Yes, am quite fine. Just realized that it is almost time to go see the men about the inventory I asked them to put together of our grain and animal feed." He was just talking incoherently now. 

"Oh... Do you wish me to go with you? I have not heard about any inventory, but I am quite curious now..."

"No! Goodness, that is not necessary, plus, you do have to finish working on those invitations and be done with the whole lot of them already... just remember to include an official invitation for your family in this set." His breathing achieving normalcy, "I can not wait to meet both your mother and sister, in person!" He smiled at her, and for the first time since the conversation started, she felt content! She was going to see Prim in a few weeks time, and here in Winter Home!

Peeta cleared his throat, and excused himself. He needed fresh air. Being so close to Katniss, but not being able to profess his feelings for her or even touch her, was turning into an unbearable torture. He thought about a good reason to go out into the woods, 'he could take his dogs out for a run, they needed the exercise anyway', the open fields would help him clear his mind, to face her again later on. 

"Uh, would you mind putting all the sealing material back in their place? I apologize for leaving you so hastily, but I really need to get to the kennels."

She was standing in front of him, eyes on his, hands folded together past her hips. "It will be my pleasure... Go attend to your other obligations. I will be alright!" He nodded, and turn to put his used glass on a tray by the door, to be picked up by an attendant later one and replaced with a clean one. And she went back to the desk... She noticed the main drawer was ajar. That was the drawer he had to unlock to open, where he kept important items, for safe keeping. She looked at him as his hand was reaching for the door knob. She stopped him.

"Peeta?"

"Yes?"

"How should I lock the drawer again after I am done with the seal? Would you leave me the key? And where should I put it afterwards?"

Peeta mulled this over for a minute... He could give her the key, but then it was so small and it was the only copy, she could lose it on accident and would feel terrible about it... 

"How about, you lock the door to the study on your way out? I think is a much simpler solution than having to deal with a tiny loose key. Does that sound agreeable to you?" He asked expectantly.

"Yes, I can do that! Do you have a key for the door?" 

"I do!" He held the ring full of keys jiggling them a couple of times.

"Good!" She exclaimed with a smile, then add "Peeta! Thank you! You are so nice and sweet to me, and you really do not have to be; yet you are, everyday! Even allowing me to invite my mother and sister to your house! You are truly a wonderful man! Thank you!" She approached him, and stood on the tips of her toes, reaching her lips to brush against the skin of his lightly stubbled cheek. He was paralyzed in place for a moment. Long enough for her to return to her task on the desk. He brought his fingers to caress the place where he felt the ghost of her lips, eyes glued on her profile for a few more seconds. 

"You will find another candle on the top right drawer... in case the one you currently have consumes completely. See you at diner!" With that, he opened the door and ran until he reached his favorite horse and pack of hounds.

Back in the study, Katniss had finished sealing her invitations, including one addressed to her Mother. She had already collected and put away in their right places, the candles, matches and wax stick. She opened the main drawer all the way, to look for the corner devoted to house the seal and it's metal saucer inside. She marveled at Peeta's neatness and organization. Everything had a place in this desk.

But, something caught her eye, it was a little book, bound in black leather, normally she would not dare go through another person's belongings, but, there was a page sticking out of it, and she could see part of a drawing of somebody's ear... A girl's to be exact, it has an earring in the shape of a flower, and there are lines that stick from around her ear, she believes to be stray hairs... She pulls the drawing out, she is stunned when she sees the the whole picture. It is of a very beautiful girl, probably Katniss age, the drawing is in charcoal, so it is blank and white, but she can tell the girl has blue eyes and blond straight hair. She seems familiar, somehow. She looks a little bit like she imagines Primrose will look when she reaches Katniss age. Her half smile is sweet and her eyes are soft.

She is surprised to see the signature " _Mellark_ " scrawled to one side of the picture, _'Did Peeta made this_?' At the bottom of the parchment somebody had rubbed of whatever was written there... Or at least tried to, she could still make out a few partial words.

**_"To my bel... Madge ...hing compares to yo... ...uty. ... ..."_ **

She pulled the book out of the drawer to place the drawing back in it, but the next drawing she saw caused her breath to hitch... It is her, there is no mistaking it, although, he has greatly exaggerated her beauty in this picture, considering the scene his decided to depict... Her hair is disheveled, and tendrils are escaping her braid everywhere, she is on her knees holding a bottle to a lambkin's mouth. There is a broad smile on her face, and her eyes are filled with tenderness while she looks down at the tiny lamb In her arms. The signature is there as well, ' _So, it is him_!' But there are no words dedicating his work of art in any way. 

She flips through the book, to find more drawings of her. All the pages are attached to the book, so she studies the one loose drawing more closely. It is indeed, a different type of paper, more like parchment, it looks a few years old by the yellowish tint it has to it.

She decides to put it all back, and forget about the whole issue. She figures, he likes to spend time drawing people. And that is fine with her. She carefully placed the portrait the mystery girl inside the book, she gathers her name is Madge?. She closed the drawer, and left for the door, she took the tray with the empty glass on it to bring to the kitchens. And the whole incident is put at the back of her mind.

What she does not know, is that were she kept leafing through the book, just turned two more pages, she would have come face to face with a picture that would have made her wish to die of embarrassment... It was the very explicit depiction of a woman's almost naked body. Sitting on a vanity chair brushing long tresses of dark hair, wearing a very reveling nightgown, that did nothing to hide away her breast or the small bit of crevice that separated her gluteus visible where she sat. Although the woman's face was hidden by a sheet of hair, she would have recognized herself, from the very first night she spent in the Duke's bedchamber. 

As the adage goes, ignorance truly was bliss, as neither one of them was the wiser of what she had stumbled upon, that afternoon.

 

=============

 

She kissed his cheek... Again! It is the third time she has kissed him in two days! each kiss has been unique in it's delivery, they have grown more sure as well, but, each one was product of her gratitude, when he had offered some type of kindness towards her sister. The first one was when he approved of sending her family and official invitation to the Yule Festival; the second one, came after he suggested her Mother and Sister came to visit with them a week before the Festival and stay until after the last day of the month, roughly another week after the Festival. 

This new kiss, was significant for two reasons. The first, being: It was given in public, in front of his farm staff to be exact. And second: It was accompanied by a quick and excited embrace from her, and the words "Thank you, Peeta! No body compares to you!". He stood there rooted to the ground watching her skip away into the main house, on her way to write to her sister the good news! Primrose was to meet with the town seamstress, so they could commission her a suitable gown to wear to the Festival, along with a few new pieces for her wardrobe. He had never seen her more happy, not even when he got _her_ an entire new wardrobe, with matching shoes and accessories.

To the unending credit of his men, none of them utter a word until she was well beyond the house walls, wether because they were as stunned as he was, or out of respect for Katniss, treating her with decorum, as they would the Lady of the house, he was not sure. But, as soon as he came down to earth and regain his senses, he tried to erased the goofy smile painted on his face, but the men, all broke into wolf-like whistles and merry laughter, some patted him on the back, for his men either knew of his infatuation or had suspected it for a while.

But it was Thom's comment, who had basically grown up with Peeta, and was by far the only one that did not fear to speak his mind around him, because he was considered a friend by the Duke, that eased him away from anger, when he exclaimed loudly

"Goddess Fortuna, Your Grace, it is said, kisses only the bold!" Thom smirked knowingly. The men around cheered in approval.

Peeta scowled, he knew exactly what his friend was trying to say. So he answered "Fortuna is fickle, my friends, not mention easily spooked! There is a fine line between boldness and stupidity, that many a man has crossed in pursuit of Fortuna, and stupidity does not bode well, with her!. I do not wish to be spinned on her wheel and risk her lashing of bad luck" He finished glowering, eyeing the rest of his men, that had lost interest in the conversation, and had taken this moment as if it was a break from their chores, and were laughing and talking and drinking water out of their canteens.

"Oh, but, you are a smart and patient man, Sir! the Goddess, only kisses a man worthy of **_all_** the abundance of her cornucopia..." he says this seriously, looking Peeta straight in the eye "abundance of grain, game and coin... just as your House has seen of late. To make her smile upon one is to have _all_ odds in one's favor, and you my Lord... seem like will be granted _good luck_ in more ways than you expect!" Blood rushed to Peeta's face, because of the implications of Thom's words.

After all, it seem like Katniss was getting more comfortable with physical contact, and he was elated... This contact completely innocent, not quite shows of affection, but, she would not freeze up in panic if their fingers were to brush up against each other while in closed proximity, she allowed him to place his hand on hers if she was holding on to his arm during a walk, she even given him an approving squeeze on the shoulder one afternoon, when he showed her the finances books of the Winter Home, they had double their coin income compared to the previews month, by applying a few changes on the farm and cutting on some expenses she considered were unnecessary at the house.

Usually guest did not pay a fee for boarding at Winter Home, no matter how big their party, but, it was common curtesy to provide feed for the animals they used during the hunts, as well as turn over half of the game caught during their stay, the meat and pelts would then be sold for profit for the upkeep of the estate, farm and repopulation of the forest inhabitants. Peeta understood the need to preserve the fauna in order to keep game plentiful. 

 

==========

 

His fingers had been ghosting at the place where her lips had branded his skin, like a red-hot seal. Thom's words swimming in his mind.

He was sitting on the fallen trunk of a tree, overlooking the pond. It was a beautiful day, with clear blue skies and shiny bright sun, that staved away the bitter cold of the end of November. The woods were alive with the last remaining birds on the trees, and soft noises of branches swinging lazily on the breeze. He could hear the murmurs of small scurrying critters all about, but he was intent on his work.  Little book bound in black leather and charcoal sliding over it's pages fast  and with ease. 

The wind was picking up some, so he adjusted his scarf to cover up to his nose. The buffering of the woolen material might have contribute to his not hearing her approached behind him, but, it was her damned huntress tread that veiled her presence. 

"Fortuna?"

Her warm breath tickled his ear, and although she had spoken amusedly and not louder than a whisper, she startled him out if his log. He gave an embarrassing yelp, while he both ran and fell from his perch, book and charcoal flying into the air. He turned around to see her, still in her slightly bent forward position, as he assumed she was when she leaned over his shoulder and spied on his drawing. Her face was rapidly morphing from an amused smirk to utter horror. 

"WHAT IN BLAZES ARE YOU DOING?..." He was clutching his chest with a hand, were his heart was threatening to burst out, the other hand splayed on a large rock to stabilized himself. He narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He was fighting back anger and embarrassment, while trying to slow his breathing and lower his heart rate. The release of adrenaline was not helping one bit... That is, until, she broke down in sobs.

In a blinking of an eye, he had jumped over the tree trunk, gathered her in his arms, and sat on the log with her securely placed on his lap.

"I. am. SO. so-rry. Peet-taah..." She babbled in between choking gasps. He crushed her head to his broad warm chest, and started to rub her back with his other hand, trying to make soothing noises. But, she placed both her hands on his chest and pushed away from him, seeking his gaze. He wished she hadn't, because the sight of her distressed and the size of her tears were tearing his heart apart

"I did not mean to... You have to believe me! I was not trying to meddle." She begged, violently shaking her head from side to side, in a negative motion to accentuate her statement. "Please do not be angry... I do not wish any harm on you! Never! I..." She stopped short and her eyes visibly widen. She scrambled to get up from his lap, but, his arms tighten his hold on her, and kept her were she was. 

She was like a terrified doe! Whatever it was she almost said to him, had spooked her out of her crying fit. He pulled her closer to him. One hand found her cheek and brushed his thumb over the wet tracks, leaving a black streak of charcoal on it's path. He bit his lip to stifle a laugh, but she had noticed the change in his features.

"Why are you laughing at me?" She whined still in her watery voice. She seem at the brink of tears again. His hand held on her face firmly.

"I am not laughing at you!"

"Yes, you are!" She cried, new tears washing the charcoal down her face and neck. God! He so wish to trail kisses after them.

"You are mocking me! I am nothing but a stupid little child to you, one that started crying as soon as you raised your voice... How can you ever view me as a woman after that reaction? But, I do not appreciate you mocking me!" She did sound like a bratty little girl. But it endeared her to him for some reason. 

He bit down the laughter that kept trying to break free, and said again, as seriously as he could, "I swear to you, I am not mocking you. I would never ridicule you in any way!" That was true. "The problem is, my hands..." He took his hand away from her face, and placed it in front of her eyes, "... are stain with charcoal, see?" She looked at his hand, then looked into his eyes. "When I tried to wiped away your tears... Well, you have some charcoal under your eye." He finished softly. "I-I was not laughing at you my sweet"

She seem to deflate, and melted into his embrace. "You aught to clean up your hands then... And, then my face." She rested her head on his chest again, and he chuckled softly. 

They stayed like that, for a long moment, before she gave a shudder and took a deep breath. He brought his hand to caress the back of her head, where small tendrils of hair had loosen out of their braid. They were both content. 

"Are you feeling better?" He leaned his head to rest on hers, speaking against her hair, followed by a little peck, and she sighed. 

"I do. Thank you." She said softly. "What about you?" She slowly lift up her face to see him. He leaned back for her benefit. 

"I am... But, I feel almost drained of all my strength, I would not mind taking a little sleep before supper!" He smiled at her, and she smiled back demurely. "The events of the last 15 minutes, were, let us say... Intense!" There was a twinkle in his eyes. She had to look away from him, for a minute. 

Bitting her lips, she said uncertainly, "I would have thought... Diana, you know." Her eyes flit back at his before turning to the pond.

Confusedly, he asked. "Diana? I do not understand... What are you referring to?" Both his arms had snaked around her, and one was comfortably resting on her lap. 

"Well... I just thought, it would make more sense, because animals seem to get along with me, and the other matter of... sworn off marriage... And her weapon being bow and arrows. If I was going to be depicted as a goddess... I would have thought it would be Diana..." She trailed off, and gave him another quick look before averting her gaze. "The drawing... It was lovely... Too beautiful..." She said softly. He started grinning at her explanation, and with every word his grin systematically evolved into a full blown belly laugh. He planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Diana, my Lady!" He squeezed her middle. "Why, I guess you are right! Except, my men liken you to Fortuna earlier today." He laughed even harder, when her head snapped back to his, and her grey eyes grew to show her surprise. 

"Your-Your men... said that I looked like a goddess? Fortuna, no less? Have they ever seen pictures of her? And more importantly... Why would you allow other men look at me and say things like that? I'm yours!" Her eyes widen even bigger, and her hand flew up to cover her mouth, presumably to stop talking. There was a good chance his eyes were as big as hers. 

"It was just Thom..." He was in a daze. "He was not lusting after you, Katniss, none of them were... he merely stated, that you were good luck for the House... and abundance of grain and game... I am sure he knows what Fortuna looks like." He could not look away from her eyes, and neither could she. Her hand was still clasped tightly over her mouth. 

"But... You are wrong, Katniss. You are _not_ mine. You are not property to be owned. And I would never want to view you as such!" She dropped her hand from her mouth and whispered 

"Peeta..." Her eyes softened and roamed his face slowly.

He removed his arm from her lap, to rub her arm up and down, finally threading his fingers with her  hand that sat limp on her lap. "I-I need to apologize for losing my temper earlier. It was wrong of me to rise my voice attacking you in that manner. If my men had seen it, I would have gain a beating from them, believe me, they admire and respect you more, than they do me." He smiled doubtfully at her. 

"No! Do not apologize! It was all my fault! I had one task to do. One! And I managed to made a mess out of it! I should not have sneak up on you, and look over your shoulder that way, it was bad manners and... I did not mean to invade your privacy like that. I should have announced myself... I got curious, and I know that is not lady like behavior, and then I got you angry, and cried like a stupid little girl..." Tears start prickling the corners of her eyes. "And... Your men would never beat you, least of all for me! You are their master... A good one at that. I have said it before, you are a good man, Peeta. I am so sorry I can not be as good for you, as you are for me... for every one really..." 

"Hey," both his hands encased her face. "Stop that. You have been invaluable for Winter Home! You have help us double our stores of produce, and game meat and pelts, and with that comes better finances. And since you established the 'Tip for an outstanding job' everybody has put a lot more effort into their work, making our guests happier, and in turn more generous as well... It is a cycle that started with you. Maybe you are not Fortuna herself, but my employees, men and women alike, see you as good luck..."

"A superstitious lot, are they?" She murmured with an eye roll.

Peeta smiled fondly. "It is said, that Fortuna kisses those who are bold, which my men seem to believe I am. I tried to tell them, that I am not bold at all, and if they could have seen me a while ago, yelling cowardly at you, they would have understood what I was trying to convey to them..." He chuckled mirthlessly, and ran his hand through his hair, "You frighten me something fierce, and I am sorry I reacted so poorly. I am sorry I yelled at you in anger, you should never have to feel threaten by me or anyone else. I am just afraid my good fortune will dwindle and come to and end, scaring you off..." He trailed off lost in thought. 

Katniss sighed frustratedly. "The saying goes: 'Fortune favors the Bold', Peeta... but, I put no stock on luck, good or bad. Whatever good you get, is because you work hard for it, and you conduct your life in honesty, and fairness. I believe, you need no kiss from any deities to achieve a good life, Peeta. You have a great group of people that love and respect you, and follow your command because you are a good, honest and fair master..." She was looking at him so intently, he felt like she could see his very soul. "I must admit that I did not like seeing you so angry at me, in fact, I hated every second of that exchanged, all I want is to be pleasing to you, to make you happy... all I do in Winter Home, is because I know you love the place and your people. Chance, only goes so far, the rest happens only when and if you act upon it..."

"Chance brought you to me. So, do not count it out!"

She clenched her jaw, before she spoke. "Chance has got nothing to do, with my presence here!" she bit out. "You know that! The only thing I had no control over was how much I love being here! It feels me with pride to see you and the House prospered, especially if you think I have contributed in some way. But, Fortuna did not do this, and you should not be craving her lips!" her eyes flashing fire. She pushed out if his lap and stood up with finality. 

He stood up slowly, "I do not crave Fortuna's lips" he said calmly gazing into her face, which was a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Oh, but you crave somebody else's?" The retort came biting and hurt.

"I confess I do." His voice was calmed, but his mind was racing.

She took a step backwards, Peeta could not read her expression, but it was not good. "Then... Act upon it! Go on! Be bold, like your men said"

He chuckled softly, and took a step closer to her, "I would love to, my dear, believe me. But the kiss I crave come from real, human lips, and I am afraid that pursuing those lips, would be a rather stupid act instead of a bold one." He reached his hand to take hold of her arms that had coiled around her midsection.

"She... She most be really something, if she makes you hesitate so!" She said thickly. 

"She is! To kiss her lips, is but a dream never to be fulfill." She took another step back, and he followed, not wanting to allow separation.

"Why are you telling me this?" Her voice cracked at the last word. "You are supposed to want _Me_! But you do not... I know I talk to much, and act like a brat, and snoop on your stuff... I know I am immature and you do not find me desirable, but please, do not confess to my face that you wish to engage in amorous activities with other maids, I am supposed to be your Concubine!" He is taken aback by this explosion, her eyes are surprisingly dry, but they are red rimmed and sad. Two things registered, one: She is jealous! two: She thinks he is talking about someone else, she has somehow misunderstood his insinuation.

He shakes his head, and pulls her to him, "Katniss, do you want me to kiss you?" He is looking into her startle eyes, she can see he is being serious.

"I... N-no... I do not want charity kisses!" She stammers.

"Charity kisses?" He shakes his head to clear it, and continues "It will be my right to kiss _my_ Concubine any old time I want, but I will not do it, not without your permission, as I said, you are not my property" She shivered in his arms, her eyes glued to his.

"But, you just kissed me, not 10 minutes ago, you did not ask permission" Her voice is small

"No, I did not mean just kissing you on the forehead, in innocent fondness. I meant a kiss, the way a man kisses a woman. They way I would be kissing you if I really took you as my Concubine, not chaste, not friendly and not innocent... Is that what you want?" His brow wrinkled and his face harden. 

"I... Do not know... Sometimes I do wish you would kiss me that way... But, then I know where it would lead, and I..." she looked away from him. "I get scared that once I give myself to you physically..."

"Don't! Do not dare go there, Katniss, is not going to happen!" He warned.

"It WILL! You are going to take me, you are going to fuck me like your wife said you would, and I will lay on my back, and I will helplessly fall in love with you, while you move between my thighs... and when that finally happens..." She started shaking and sobbing, "When I finally become your whore, the King will tired of Cashmere, she will get replaced with a younger girl, and she will be shipped back to you... She would want to secure her position here, and become with child. I will be of no more use to either of you And my contract will be terminated. I will be sent back to my mother and sister, used, alone and heartbroken." He is frozen in place. His tongue as heavy as lead. 

"That is why, you can not kiss me... That is why is good you can only think of me as a pet companion... As much as it irks me, is better this way." She gave a dry laugh, "Do not look at me like that! I know that you are fond of me, and care for me a great deal. But, I am also aware, I am not your preference, with my darker complexion and dark hair. But, as the Duchess said, you are still a man sharing your bed with a young maid... I am not completely naive... I beg of you, do not make me love you. Falling in love to then lose the object of my affection, fills me with unbearable dread, and that will undoubtedly happen if you ever kiss me. After all, you would never be mine, I am disposable, only here temporarily, until your wife returns." She disentangled herself from his grasp with great effort, he had tears trailing down his face, just like she had on hers. He wishes he could deny all of it, but he can not, he knows everything she said is true, and it kills him inside.  

"Any how... I came looking for you, to remind you that Lord Abernathy will take his leave and return to Seam in two hours time... Or one hour, rather." she wiped her nose and eyes as she was talking. She stood tall and stoic, as usual, "We should better return to the house to compose ourselves. It will not do to look so distraught and covered in charcoal streaks in front of the whole household!" she bent over to pick up the book and piece of charcoal that laid forgotten on the ground with its pages folded in every which way. She paused for a moment, and flatten the wrinkles out of a single lose page that fell out of the book,

"I hope you get that kiss you crave so much, from somebody more akin to the Goddess..." she handed him the loose piece of parchment, and said, "She is lovely, whoever she is..." His eyes grew in surprise at the portrait of the blond girl with the flower shape earrings she had just handed to him, held it with near reverence, then looked at her imploringly "I... I have to go!" Fresh tears fell unbidden from her eyes. She turned around and ran towards the safety of the house.

 

\-----------------

 

Thom woke up to the uncharacteristic hubbub of the normally quieted morning routines of the barrack that housed the male farm hands of the Winter Home.

It was true that the place housed at least 20 men during the winter season when the Home was at its busiest, and usually the barracks were bustling with activity after they were dismissed for the day; but mornings, were usually more subdued. 

His curiosity peaked, Thom threw on his britches not bothering to change his sleeping tunic, he left his small compartment following the noises, until he reached the main entrance to the barrack, where the hullabaloo clearly originated. He swoop people aside until he was at the front of the crowd, and looked up to finally figure out what was so damned out of the ordinary that had all his fellow workers in such a state of excitement. 

There it was! He could now see why the uproar, and it was absolutely perfect, even though it was clearly incomplete.

Nailed to the heavy wooden double doors of the barrack was a piece of paper, that had been unceremoniously ripped out of it's book, then crumpled, and smoothed out again, there were smudges all over it... Although the piece of paper had been severely abused, it was nevertheless a work of Art, and probably the only thing of beauty in their quarters!

It depicted a beautiful winged woman with long flowing hair, holding a cornucopia filled with coins in one arm, and a wheel in the opposite hand. The Goddess was blindfolded, which clearly was an afterthought addition to the portrait, but still within its confines. If the blindfold was trying to hide the identity of the woman used as model for the picture, it was not a very good disguise, for her features were too perfect, and there was no doubt whose face graced the drawing. The unfinished details gave it a more ethereal feel. But what pulled at Thom's attention was the ominous words scribbled at the bottom of the paper:

' ** _Beware of Fortuna's kiss, for it will be sweeter than honey, and cloud your judgement, to the point you will not see difference between boldness and recklessness._**

**_Fortuna kisses the bold, but the spin of her wheel might be the bold's downfall. The man how works hard will always have her blessing. But, do not crave a goddess kiss, for human lips are truer.'_ **

For the looks of it, his friend had not seem any luck, the previous night, but bad! He wondered how would this affect the Master's mood? His heart went out for him!  If the drawing stuck to the door was any indication, His Grace was in for a very frustrating, very cold, and very long winter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fortuna, was the Roman Goddess of chance, luck (good and bad) and fate. Her symbols are: the cornucopia (horn of plenty), the wreath (made of grains) and the wheel of fortune, which she spins indiscriminately, bringing either good or bad luck. She is the inspiration for the Latin proverbs regarding good luck: 'Fortune (Fortuna) favors the bold" She is usually depicted as a woman with curly blond hair, either carrying a cornucopia or a wreath of grain. (Reason why Katniss wonders if Thom has ever seen a picture of Fortuna, as she would not represent her Physically) 
> 
> Diana, is the Roman Goddess of Hunting, Game, Childbirth and Women. She's usually portrayed as a youth wearing a short tunic and hunting boots, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, accompany by a buck or hounds. She was thought to be a virgin, swearing never to marry. And except for the hair, which she wears short and up, she's pretty closed to Katniss in my opinion. 
> 
> \------------------- 
> 
> This chapter has given me a lot of grief! I have written and rewritten it 3 times. Hopefully it was any good. By the way, if you found any mistakes, they're all mine, I do not have a proof reader as of now. Message me your opinions bellow! Thanks for reading!


	7. The Everdeen Women, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upping the Rate to E, things will be more explicit in the foreseeable chapters, especially for Cashmere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters or locations of the Hunger Games. 
> 
>  
> 
> Let me Fangirl out about abk1973... And her amazing Fic "I knew this would happened anyway"... A must read! I dedicate this chapter to you, for making my day :) keep those fingers typing!

Peeta looked at the antique clock on mantel, tick-tocking softly, without a hurry. 9:15 at night. He had been secluded in his study for a good 2 hours now.

His gaze lowers down to the one envelope that brought him into the study originally. He is actually surprised he had found so many distractions this time, he had manage to forget, tonight he had a valid reason to be holed up in this room.

The envelop is addressed to him, sealed with the familiar stamp of the Trident, symbol of the House of the Baron of Quattro. He hopes it is his best friends schedule for his next visit. He makes quick work of breaking the wax seal, and laying out the letter he found inside.

His smile widens once he discovers the handwriting belongs to Annie. He will take a letter from either Finnick or Annie, any time, really, but usually, Annie's correspondence tends to be lighter, funnier and lengthier.

 

 

_Dearest Peter,_

_I hope this missive reaches you, in good health and contentment._

_I have to confide in you, I wish we were still in your company, I greatly miss the carefree atmosphere one can breathe in Merch._

_Life in Sea Breeze is quiet and peaceful, very quaint... it could be absolutely pleasant, if it was not for the bursts of displeasure, one can suffer, when your only companion is a 69 year old bat, that her only nice words toward her pregnant daughter-in-law are: "At least she will have good strength to deliver the child, the way she eats!"_

_(_ Peeta laughed out loud at this paragraph _.)_

 _My only joy, after a full day in Mother Odair's presence is my beloved Finnick, who you know has been drowning in his responsibilities. I am not exaggerating when I say, the reason Mother Odair enjoys such great health, is because no germ, illness or malady will ever want to reside within her for longer than a day._ _But, enough about my discomforts._

_The reason that prompt me to write to you, in the first place, was to inquire about you._

_You must be aware, that, by now, news of your current situation, have spread far and wide, and the gossip mill has not been idle._

_The stories range from the seemingly out of character for you my friend, to the outright ridiculous. Everyone has their own opinion, but, most people agree that the new hostess is very young, but surprisingly capable._

_Now, it is everybody's unanimous assessment of her beauty, the only tidbit of information believable, as it will never vary from recollection to recollection. Finnick doubts we will hear any accurate accounts about the situation in question, until we finally arrive at Winter Home... Which will hopefully be, in two weeks time, for the Yule Festival (by the way, we received the invitation four days ago! It's so exciting to see you finally taking an interest in social events other than hunting)._

_In any case, it was not until just the other day, that we got a much better recording, from a much more trustworthy source. We received word from Lord Abernathy, not two days ago. He was raving about your new friend,_

_(_ He understood the word _friend_ as it was intended _)_

_He went to great lengths, explaining each and every one of her attributes. He shared with us about his fondness toward the young Lady, going as far as to guarantee that it would be nearly impossible for both Finnick and myself, to not find her endearing, after we get to meet her. This coming from the Earl's own hand and writing, has peaked my curiosity even more than before. But, I have to say, reading about the Earl's account, is not nearly as satisfying as it would be coming directly from you, after all, it is your thoughts we are interested in._

_I know Finnick would be disgusted with my prying on you, but I just can not help myself. Being with child is not as exciting as midwives make it out to be! There is not much to do, except to sit and knit around all day (specially when your chaperone is Mother Odair)... it has turned me into a dull puddle of monotony, and I need some news from you!_

_(_ He let out a chuckle _)_

_I am completely sure, that if I was holding my child in my arms instead of inside my womb, I would not be so incline to intrude in your privacy. Therefore, I apologize if I have overstep my confidence, but you have not send us one line recounting your story, so, I guess it us your own fault I have resort to badgering you._

_(_ He grimaced at that, recognizing she was right,  and he was entirely at fault, he never sent word to his oldest friends in over a month! he should write back right away _)_

_Please my dearest Peeta, do not delay your answer. Help an expectant woman put her nervousness and curiosity at rest!_

_Truly yours,_

_Annie, Baroness Odair_

 

 

Peeta took a minute to just look fondly at the letter pressed between his fingers.

He was sure, Finnick would have a hoot listening to Katniss' in passionate speeches about fair treatment to the lower classes and seeing how she had no qualms to speak her mind, where she saw injustice. He shook his head, wiping off the goofy grin that had taken residence on his face while daydreaming about his friends meeting Katniss and giving their approval right away.

He is broken out of his reverie, when a frigid gust of air, rushes through the semi open window of his study, blowing his stationary in every direction all about his desk.

He sprints to grab what he can, reaching for all sorts of objects to repurpose as a paperweights. Once he has rescued all his writing materials, he goes to the window and reluctantly closes it all the way.

He sat back down on his comfortable desk chair, and glanced at the clock again. He sighed. As much as he wanted to go straight to work on that response to Annie, it was passed his bedtime. He wondered if Katniss was asleep already.

He had taken to stay longer in his study, to avoid being alone with her to much... He told himself that he was giving her space, allowing her to get into bed, and fall asleep before joining her. The truth was, it was easier for him this way, being around her too much made him anxious and miserable. 

She had asked him... No! Begged him, to not make her love him. He wanted to respect her wishes, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that sharing a bed with her, was possibly the worse thing they could do, if they were to keep their relationship platonic. Because even, being as chaste as they had been since she started sleeping in his chamber, there is an inherent level of intimacy that develops during the privacy before and right after slumber, when you start to either settle down for bed or get ready for the day ahead, is the time when people in such close proximity, usually share conversations without restraint for fear of prying ears.

Conversation leads to friendship, friendship leads to fondness, fondness leads to longing, and so on and so forth, until there is nothing but the act of falling in love. 

In any case, it was to late for him to prevent himself from loving her. He had loved her since he heard her singing to his dying Woof... most times, he felt guilty for the elation he felt every time he thought it was already to late for her as well, her eyes were so expressive, there was not much he could not read in her various gazes. It made him ache for her. But, she was determined to not fall in love with him, even though, he was sure deep down, she was aware it was too late. She was set on not act upon any feelings that had developed between them. And he was going to keep his word, and stay away from her, so she could protect her heart against his. It worked vice-versa, he recon.

But his mind was stubbornly stuck on her, and he missed their nightly conversations, they could talk about anything, they had shared their most intimate thoughts with each other, they had joked and laughed together, they had argued and disagreed to then compromised... She challenged him in every way possible, and yes, she could be stubborn and childish at times, but every time they shared their point of view with each other, he felt like she matured a little bit. But thinking about conversations with her in bed was no good at all. His mind, invariably, would go to the one memory, he fought most desperately to keep at bay, to ignore, he knew it was futile to try to erase it from his mind, because the harder he tried to keep the memory away, the more present it was. 

~~~~~~~~

It had been an embarrassing mishap, where he walked into the bedchamber unannounced.

He found her sitting on a pouffe, at the small vanity he had had brought in for her after he found her struggling to do her hair with a tiny hand mirror. Her hair was free of it's braid and she was brushing it meticulously, this alone, would had probably have an alarming effect on his anatomy regardless. But it was the article of clothing she was wearing at the moment that rendered him dumbstruck. 

A very thin, see-through shift, that was supposed to be her nightgown, it did not hide anything to his eyes! It was sleeveless, and it's hem only reached the top of her thighs, not that it mattered, the sheer material would not have provided any protection against the cold any way. 

For a split second, nothing happened, they both stayed frozen looking at each other wide eyed and mute.  

He finally disrobed and tossed her his dressing gown to cover up, he did not think of the dilemma losing his robe was going to cause. Faced with his very evident arousal, he dove under the covers to hide himself from her sight. Why was it that nobody in their society wore underclothes to bed? It should be required, specially in this situations! 

After a mortifying 15 minutes of the both of them trying to avoid contact with one another while they settled in bed, he learned that every single one of her nightgowns and miscellaneous undergarments were provided by Cashmere, and were all different versions of the one she was wearing at that moment.

Needless to say, the very next day, he sent for a clothier. He got her a complete new wardrobe, with lots of thick night shirts and long robes for sleep time, just in case. He even got her under garments to wear under her nightgowns even though, they were not customary. He figured the more layers between them the better... He suspected Cashmere had the opposite thought when she provided Katniss with her night clothing. 

~~~~~~~~~~

But, at times like the current, his mind would fleet back to her figure. He daydreamed about the bewitching contrast between her smooth creamy color skin and the stark white of her veil of a nightdress... Oh, he long to touch her perfectly round, perky breasts... her nipples were dark pink, dark enough to be visible through the fabric of the gown, and he had a swift look where a mound of dark curls that covered the apex of her thighs, peeked out from under the hem of her shift, when she stood up and raised her arms to put on the robe. She was not just beautiful, she was breathtaking!

He had seen a few naked women in his life. He had never been the kind of man to want to screw around, although he had a good amount of sexual experiences. To his chagrin, he had to admit the best he had had so far had been his own wife, surprisingly, Cashmere had been a virgin, but she was no novice in bed... but none of the other women had the same powerful effect on him, on his body, that Katniss had. And he had never even sampled her lips! Some nights, it took all his will power to keep his hands and mind to himself, and as far away from the maiden laying next to him. 

But, when he was in his study behind locked doors, he allowed himself to cave in, and let his thoughts take over. He groaned in frustration. He should not be thinking about her this way. He felt like he was using her without her consent, and it made him feel dirty. 

But, he could not help it. If he went into that chamber without taking care of this, he might do something very stupid, he would regret later. He would never force her to perform sexual acts with him, but a stray hand could wander beyond it's acceptable boundaries. And he could not risk it. 

He reached for a little key out of his trousers pocket, and opened a little cabinet behind him, at the bottom of the built-in bookcase that rested against the wall at the back of his desk. He pulled out a handful of little squares of terry cloths and hand towels, he knew he was not getting into that bed before ridding himself of this arousal.

He unbuttoned his trousers, and slipped his hand into his underpants. He found his throbbing member quickly enough, and hissed as he enclosed his hand over his swollen head. He stroked a couple of times, and then pulled himself out of his clothing. 

He allowed his erection to rest freely where it fell, and opened the bottom left drawer of his desk, and pulled out a small bottle of aromatic oils, he took from the bathroom, the smell was so faint he had always wonder what good was it for baths anyway. But, it worked perfectly as lubricant.

He applied a small amount of oil unto the palm of his hand, and brought it back to grasp himself tightly. He grunted with each stroke. Images of Katniss inundated his mind, made up images, real ones, he did not care, it was always her face he wanted to think of, the feel of her braid wrapped around his hand while he pushed into her repeatedly. But it was her mercurial eyes that always undid him, and today was no different. He frantically picked up a rag and placed it over his sensitive head, as soon as he saw her eyes in his mind's eye... It was not going to take long tonight, and he knew it. He thought of how her eyes would look in the middle of her released, pleading? lustful? molten with desire?... he let go with a growl of something that resembled her name. 

He fell against the backrest of his chair, short of breath and spent. 

He did not used to do this in here, he always took care of this kind of business in his bedchamber, but, seeing as his chamber was currently occupied by the very cause of his predicament, he had taken to relieve himself in the only other place completely private to him, his study.

After her outburst about the reasons why they should not become physical with each other, there was nothing else he could think of, but being physical with her... He felt like a hormonal adolescent, he found himself doing this more often than he considered was proper, and it shamed him to no end.

He had sworn to keep her maidenhead intact, he was going to honor his promise to himself, that she would return home to her family as pure and innocent as she arrived, no matter how much he wanted her.

She was not his to keep, and he understood her fears of losing the  object of her affections better than she thought, because he himself had already experienced it, and for the longest time, he was sure he would never be over it. 

He opened the main desk drawer, to pull out the single sketch of the blond girl with the flowery earrings. 

He caresses the parchment, were her cheek was traced. "I hate how disgusting I have become... I am a grown man pleasuring himself at the thought of an innocent, sweet girl, almost half his age!"

He exhaled loudly, and let the parchment fall softly on the surface of his desk. His hands gone to wiped any residues off his earlier activity, eventually tucking himself back into his pants.

Still looking into his lap, he continued his monologue "She reminds me of you some times. Even in her features, I swear there similarities, which I know is crazy... Her eyes... Not the color... She has got this incredible grey eyes! But the shape of them, exactly like yours... It is a little unnerving. Her eyes, bewitch me! They do this thing, like swirling when she is angry, I love it, I have never seen anything like that!" He gets quiet for a minute.

"She is very smart" He chuckles quietly "She has a knack for witty come backs when we argue... It's shameful how much I instigate those arguments... And I recognize I am a totally sick excuse for a man, but, it just turns me on like nothing, to see her eyes flaming like they do when she is angry... And her voice? Oh God! Even the birds stop to listen!" He looks at the portrait again, then props it up against the half empty glass of mead he had been working on before he started reading Annie's letter. "I feel bad about saying this, but, her voice is even better than yours... And believe me, I feel very bad about thinking that... After all, that can be considered an insult to a Mockinjay" He says with a chortle. He looks out sight unfocus, then he brings it back to the one dimensional face of the sketched girl.

"I love her, Madge!" Sad smile on his face, tears forming in the back of his eyes. "I love her, and there is not a goddamn thing I can do about it! I can not tell her, I can not act upon it, I can not even be around her." he wiped his tears harshly "I hate Cashmere so fucking much!" He exhale a shaky breath, the previews smile replaced by a scowl "I thought it was impossible to resent her even more, but after this stunt, and all the shit she told her before she sent her here, I just... hate her with burning passion. And this time, I have valid reasons to blame her for my wretched situation, she is solely responsible this time. Granted, she had no way of knowing I would fall in love with Katniss, but she damn well knew what she was doing, and I hate her for that."

He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbed, to keep tears from forming and falling, followed by an exasperated grunt. "God... I miss Haymitch!" He slammed both hands down on his desk. "When we said goodbye to each other, he could tell I was upset, but there was no time to talk about it... I should write him a letter too, but I would prefer to have this conversation face to face... Not, that you are not a great listener, but, our conversations tend to, you know, become one-sided, and this time I need answers, and advice... More importantly, a person to bad mouth Cashmere with me."

He stood up from his chair and stretched his back. "I miss you too, you know. Everything would so different..." He frowned, "I just... Now, am not so sure if I would want it to be different, I would have never met her, and I do not want to sound callous or mean, but I sometimes wonder if I was not destined to love her? If you were here, I somehow got to meet her... I am not entirely sure I would not feel the same way about her, I do right now, and that feels so wrong... I am so sorry for not missing you more Madge. I really am Sorry. It sometimes feel like I am betraying you... I am worthless, I do not deserve either of you, and that is probably why I can not have either of you." More tears came, and he rubbed his face with one hand, giving the sketch another glance. Before he put it back in the drawer, and twisted the little key in to lock it. "Good night, Madge..."

 

===========

 

"Welcome to Winter Hom..."

"PRIM!!!!" Katniss squealed in excitement as she barreled down the steps of Winter Home's main doors, toward the coach from which her sister was descending, effectively cutting Thresh's jovial greet short.

"KATNISS!" The towheaded girl responded in equal excitement. grabbing the extended hand of the attendant next to the open door of the carriage, she jumped down ignoring the little step stool in from of her, and ran into her sister's open arms, bypassing their Mother, who looked a bit displeased by the lack of proper manners her daughters were displaying. But, she was not the only one. Two voices chided the girls at the same time.

"Lady Katniss!" / "Girls!"

Both teens, separated immediately and stood straight and in a more acceptable stance. 

Katniss apologized first, "Lady Trinket, Mother... I apologize for my behavior." She made a little curtsy for the women's benefit. And standing straighter, hands folded in front of her, proceeded in the proper protocol order. 

"Mother, Primrose, please, Welcome to Winter Home, house of His Grace, the Duke of Merch." Her voice was calmed and practiced, but her eyes were shining bright. "Allow me to introduce you to my governess while in Winter Home, the Lady Trinket." She stood to the side to allowed her family a clear view of Effie, while the older woman saunter down the steps of the house. "My Lady, this is my Mother, Mrs. Everdeen," Lady Trinket bowed slightly to the elder Everdeen, "and my sister, Primrose" Lady Trinket frowned a little at the sight of Prim, but quickly schooled her features

"It is such a pleasure to meet you ma'am, miss Primrose... we are thrilled to have your presence for the next few weeks. I apologize, before hand if things get hectic around here, but, it is quite the busy season for our beloved Home. I personally hope you both feel at home, during your stay. If there is anything I can do for you lovely ladies let me know." Effie finished with a sweet smile and a nod.

"Thank you very much, my Lady! It is an honor to be the guests of such honorable personage. We truly are grateful for your kindness toward our humble family." Mrs Everdeen answered. 

"Oh, it is simply a delight! Now, if you excuse me, I will take my leave for now, Lady Katniss will see to your accommodations personally, and if I am not mistaken, His Grace will join us for tea this afternoon."

"What, excitement! Thank you My Lady!" Mrs Everdeen curtsy, and Effie left soon after, leaving the three Everdeen women to their own devices. 

"Mother! Prim! I am so happy you came!" Said Katniss and quickly hug each of the women in front of her. "You are going to love it here! His Grace has spared no expense in preparing for your arrival!" She was so excited she almost jumped up and down while speaking.

"Oh my child, I am happy to see you so happy as well! But, I would have expected a more subdued girl than what I find in front of me! I must admit, I was worried sick about you, but, you look so... Beautiful and radiant! This place does you good my dear!" The older woman said, caressing her daughter's face.

"Katniss, this place is amazing! I understand why you like it so much! And it might be just wishful thinking, but even the weather here seems nicer!" Prim exclaim 

"Oh, Little Duck! It is! Everything here is better! The air you breathe, the openness, the food! It is so much peaceful than back home. I am just so glad you are both here!... But, let us get inside! I can not wait to show you your quarters!" Katniss grabbed her sister's hand and pulled it up the steps.

"Thresh, would you please have Pip and Gabriel bring my... Our guest's luggage up to the east corridor, Rue will direct them to which chambers they are to be taken." She spoke with authority, but a softness that was not loss on the Butler.

"As you wish my Lady. Is there anything else you request of me?"

"That would be all! Thank you Thresh!" She smiled, and although Thresh was not supposed to smiled back, he did. 

===========

 

"So? What do you think, Prim?" She asked holding her breath.

Prim was silent for a moment, looking all around the room, with bright yellow walls, and white flowers painted all over them. All the linens were soft yellow and off white colors. There were two big windows on the wall to the left of the bed which was an ornate white bed with daisies carved all over the head and foot, there were vases with dried flowers in almost every surface, there was a medium size vanity with ribbons and brushes and all kinds of beauty supplies, and a bookcase, housing all of Prim's favorite classics... All the furniture match the bed.

Prim, turned to see her sister, wide eyed. "It is beautiful!" She gasped. 

Katniss grinned with pleasure. "You really like it? I decorated it myself! We do not have chambers suitable for young ladies here in Winter Home, which I think is a serious overlook, so I convinced Peet... His Grace, that we needed to repurpose a room or two!" She gushed with a smug smile on her lips, "And now you will be the first people to use them!" She was bouncing up and down clapping like 10 year old.

"Oh?... So... You have not slept I'm this chamber yet? Which one is your room? Can we see it?" Prim asked confusedly. Katniss' face fell, and stammered 

"I... Uh, well... the thing is Little Duck..."

"Your sister does not have her own chamber, sweetheart... It would be inappropriate to bring someone in, without her room mate's permission..." Their Mother interjected uncomfortably. But before any more explanation was presented, Prim asked again,

"Well, why does she need to share her bedchamber? You would think with a manor as big as this one, she would have her pick!" Said Prim carelessly, Katniss was starting to get overwhelmed. 

"I-I... Um, I..."

"Enough badgering your sister with silly questions! Katniss dear, I believe you should show me to my chamber since clearly I am not sharing one with Prim. We better hop to it. We need to freshen up, if we want to join the Duke for afternoon refreshments, on time" She sent Primrose a stern glance. And Katniss nodded her head, not meeting her mother's eyes. 

"Yes, mother... Please follow me..." She whispered. Prim looked from one woman to the other confusedly, but she understood her mother's warning, she was upsetting her sister, so she did not say more, and fell into step behind the other two older Everdeens.

Katniss and her Mother, had a long talk about what was expected of her as a Concubine, but she had not expected to be asked those questions by her sister, who thank heavens had not really caught on what it was the Duchess wanted from her, was a totally different thing. She did not considered, what it would feel like to have your mother know, you share the bed of a married man, who was not your husband, every night... Her cheeks turned crimson, when she realized that, that was not the only thing that went through her mother's mind when Prim asked about her sleeping arrangements.

Peeta had never touched her, not even by accident, in the middle of the night when they were both unconscious... But, she had touched him while he slept numerous times. He would never know this, as she realized pretty quick what a heavy sleeper he was. She loved touching his face, his arms, his chest. She would never do it for long, just a sweep of her finger tips over his stubbled jaw... She loved it when he did not shave, but she would never admit that out loud.

The truth was, she loved everything about him. His eyes, his smile, his sense of humor, the way his nose crinkled when they would walk into the stables... The way his hair curled at the nape of head or around his ears when wet with sweat... ' _Ooh_...' the image of a sweaty Peeta broke through her mind, and she felt that strange heat in her belly, accompanied by that fluttery  sensation, that always hit her hard and swiftly when she saw him like that. ' _Stop! Please, stop... stop thinking about him... Is no good, not at all_ '. 

Prim finally could not keep quiet anymore, so she started asking questions again, mercifully bringing Katniss back to her senses. 

"How come there were no lady ready chambers in the manor? It seems odd"

"Oh. Well... Hunting lodge... Run by a man... There is actually one feminine room in the house. But, it is always kept empty." She finally stops in front of a door, and twists the knob, to find it locked. "Wait, here a second." She turns and looks around, spotting who she is looking for she calls. "Rue dear, would you be so kind, and fetch me the key for the lavender room? It is locked" she talked to the girl trailing a few paces behind them.

With a smile, Rue nodded "Yes, my Lady, I will back soon!" she turned on her heels and walked away.

"Why is it always empty?" Prim asked as if there had not been an interruption, probably to hide the awed expression she had held watching her sister interact with the maid.

Rue was back with a ring of keys, before Katniss had time to formulate her answer. So she took the keys and found the one she needed, put it into the keyhole and turned. While opening the door she said,

"Um, it is always empty, because it is the Duchess chamber, and she Is never here. But, it is always at the ready, just waiting for the arrival of our mistress!" Her voice was light, and she managed a smile, but the mere mention of the Duchess made her chest constrict in pain. 

She finally opened the door, and the three Everdeen women stepped into a beautiful lavender and mint color chamber, with delicate furniture.

"Mother, this is yours"

 

 ==========

 

Tea was served in the drawing room, at 3:00 in the afternoon. Four women, sat on the plush couches, and chairs, waiting.  Usually only two people in Winter Home, attended 'Tea', on a regular basis: Lady Trinket and Katniss. Peeta only join them to welcome a few selected guests, and then either go without afternoon refreshments, or have them privately. 

Katniss was a little nervous about Peeta and her family meeting, she was actually hoping he would forget about Tea, and not show up. But, two minutes after the grandfather clock in the drawing room chimed 3:00, he enter the room, looking every bit a Duke! He had dress up for the occasion, and both Effie and Katniss were pleasantly surprised about it.

All four women, stood up, and curtsy at the same time.

"Ladies!" Peeta bowed to the women in return. 

Katniss approached him, her hands were cold and sweaty, she was breathing faster than usual, and her face was struggling between smiling and not smiling. Peeta pressed his lips together on a thin line, and released a breath slowly. He did not like seeing her in this state at all. 

"My Lady, I apologize for my tardiness. I hope I did not keep you waiting too long." He looked her straight in the eye, and reached for her hand, to place a swift kiss on.

She knew he was trying to reassure her, with his touch, and as if to confirm this, he gave her hand a little squeeze. She visibly relaxed, and smiled at him sweetly. The other women in the room, noticed the exchanged, each reacting differently but not saying a word. 

"You are just in time, my Lord. No harm done. I am glad you could take time to accompany us." She said softly, the only sign she was aware of the presence of other people in the room, bring her formality when addressing him. Her eyes were sweet and soft. He reminded himself his promise of not let her fall in love. He whispered,

"My Lady, I believe introductions are in order?" He smiled at her, and then lifted his sight to the visitors.  

"Yes, of course." She said, then she cleared her throat, so un-lady-like, both Everdeen ladies and Lady Trinket cringed or rolled their eyes. "My Lord, I present, my Mother and Sister, Mrs. Everdeen and Miss Primrose!" both women nodded.

"Mother, Primrose... His Grace, Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch." Her words came out breathy when she said his name and title. 

Peeta bowed to both women in turn. "Welcome to Winter Home my ladies, it is a true delight to finally make your acquaintance, Lady Katniss has told me a lot about you both, especially about you Miss Primrose, she did not exaggerate when she said you were as pretty as your namesake blooms!" Peeta said and it was evident that Prim was delighted with the praise.

"But with a mother as lovely as Ms. Everdeen, it is not wonder were my Katniss gets her beauty from!" He said this and gave Katniss an adoring glance. Lady Trinket gave an uncomfortable little cough, making Peeta realized he needed to reel himself back in.

"My Lady Trinket. A sight as ever!" Effie gave him a stern glance, as discreetly as possible. And Peeta grinned at her.

"Sir." She responded curtly. "Should we call upon Cecilia to serve tea, Lady Katniss?" She address the younger lady.

"Excellent suggestion, my Lady." She looked to the back of the room, were a group of maids stood by. She smile pleasantly at the older of the maids, "Cecilia, if you please, bring forth the tea set and pastries" The maids brought several trays laden with finger foods, small cakes, and assorted sweet rolls, a delicate tea set and a rolled up paper they set on a side table for Peeta "Please, let us be seated" Katniss suggested, with a hand motion towards the seats the women has just vacated. 

After they were all seated, Cecilia asked, "Is everything to the Lady's liking?"

"Everything looks beautiful as always, Cecilia. Thank you very much. You may dismiss the rest of the maids, with my thanks!" 

"As you wish, my Lady!" She nodded. Turning to Peeta, she bowed, "Your Grace." And silently went back to her post.

Prim followed the whole exchange with interest. She started looking at her sister quizzically. 

After the refreshments, both Peeta and Lady Trinket excused themselves and returned to their various obligations, leaving the tree Everdeen women, to explore the grounds. Prim was fascinated by everything, and asked many questions. Katniss answered all of them happily and proudly. Mrs Everdeen seem to be getting more quiet with each passing hour. 

By the time they returned to the house to clean up and get ready for supper, Mrs Everdeen requested to assist her eldest daughter in her washing up. Katniss reluctantly acquiesced, after leaving Rue to assist Prim. 

Leevy prepared a bath for Katniss, and took her leave after mother and daughter enter the room. Katniss got into the tub with her mother's help, and soon after she was getting her hair shampooed by her mother, something that had not happened in many, many years. They did not speak to each other except for necessary commands: 'lean forward, raise your arm, tilt your head back' Katniss had the nagging suspicion that her mother was trying to asses something, by prodding and observing her naked body.  

Mrs. Everdeen had been a nurse before she married Mr. Everdeen. As it was customary, only maidens and widows were allowed to work, so once she married, she stayed home and devoted herself to raise their daughters solicitously, until her husband died and she fell ill with grief. Only after she realized what Katniss had done to keep their little family afloat she had started to fight to get back and be the woman she used to be. Going as far as retraining for a nurse position, which peaked Prim's interest as well, and was now considering doing herself. 

When her daughter was done, she made her stand up, she wrapped her in a plush towel, and helped her out of the bathroom and into an adjoining room exclusively used to dress up. Leevy had laid out an outfit for Katniss, Peeta's favorite, the green gown she had worn the first time they met. He requested she wore it for supper that night, and she obliged. What he did not know, was that said gown, used to belong to her mother during her years as a nurse, and it was Katniss' favorite as well. Mrs. Everdeen smiled at her daughter's choice.

"My dear, I would have thought that with all the new pretty things you now posses, you would never wear this old thing anymore" She said while buttoning the dress on, her voice was soft and soothing. 

Katniss turned her head to look at her mother, and smiled broadly. "I love the dress!..." then shyly added with a tinge of pink in her cheeks, "And so does the Duke!" She turned her head forward, not being able to hold her mother's gaze.

Mrs. Everdeen frowned and pursed her lips, but said nothing. It was her fault her child was in this position, sharing a bed with a man that was not her husband. 

After the dress was completely on, her mother motion for her to sit on the vanity chair in front of them. She toweled-dried her long dark hair, and brushed it out. She took a deep breath and asked.

"How do you like me to do your hair? I was thinking up in a bun..." She said thoughtfully. The younger girl turned her face around to see her mother once again.

"Just a braid will be fine, Mother." she answered simply.

Mrs Everdeen gave her child a tight smile, before saying "Yes, a braid would be fine for a maiden. But for the Lady of Winter Home, we need something more... Serious... Sophisticated." 

"Mother... I am a maiden!" Her response was bordering annoyance.

"Just because you are still 18 does not mean, you would still be considered a maiden." The older woman bit out.

"I _**am**_ a maiden, Mother. He has never touched me!" She blurt out angrily. "He is not interested in me that way... I think he sees me as too much of a child!" She finished with a snort. 

Mrs. Everdeen's brow knitted together for a minute, while her eyes searched her daughter's for any trace of deceit, she found none.

"For what little I was able to observed this afternoon... I will have to disagree with you child. He most certainly do not see you as a child, not by a long mile!" She picked up a thin comb and started working on her daughter's hair do. 

Kaniss rolled her eyes, and return to watch at the her reflection in the vanity mirror. "We will have to agree to disagree then."

Mrs. Everdeen made a soft little  noncommittal noise, twisting and pulling her hair all the while. "He spoke very highly of you the whole afternoon. I would dare say, he is very fond of you." She gave a heavy sigh. "You said... He has not been intimate with you, why is that?" Mrs Everdeen felt both relief and dread. Katniss cringed at the question, but braced herselfto answer the question all the same

"At first, he refused on account that he was not going to give into the Duchess' game, whatever he meant by that. Then, he said, he would never do anything that would harm my chances at marriage in the future, which is a moot point in my opinion, as I have told him repeatedly I do not plan to ever marry... But, a few weeks ago... We... We crossed words... And I just, plainly requested he did not, pursue me..." 

"Katniss!" Her mother gasped. "How-how did he take it?" Concern dripping from her voice.

"He-He agreed... He gave me his word that night, after the day was over, and we had had sometime apart to think..." her eyes seek her mother's in the mirror. "He truly is a very good man, Mother. A true gentleman. He has treated me with respect and consideration. He-He reminds me of Father sometimes." she lowers her eyes when she mentions her father.

"How so?" Her mother asks softly

"He is protective of me, he makes me feel safe and treasured. And... I like that he listens to me, no matter how childish, far fetched or incoherent I get! And... He is patient with me when I forget my temper and let it blow up... He-he knows how to calm me down" she cringed at the disapproving glance her mother gave her when she mention her temper. 

After a long moment of silence, Mrs. Everdeen asked defeatedly "You love him?"

Katniss bit the inside of her lips, she was certain her feelings for him where stronger than a mere infatuation, but, was it love? She did not wanted it to be love. 

"I... I do not want to, I have tried hard to not fall in love with him..." Katniss said weakly.

"I see..." Mrs. Everdeen responded, she was quiet for a minute. It was not the answer she was seeking, but, coming from her eldest, it was not an unexpected answer. "He wants you to wed, you said?" 

Katniss rolled her eyes. "He does... He is of the opinion, that I need somebody to ' _care_ ' after me, as if I have not been doing that on my own for years!" She exclaimed exasperated. "See why I say he thinks of me as a child? He sees me as someone who needs ' _protecting_ '" her words were bitter and sarcastic.

"Believe me, darling, the reason for him wanting to protect you is not because he thinks you a little girl." Mrs. Everdeen chided. "He seems to be a man of honor, so, his reasons must be honorable... And if he truly means for you to have his blessing, I would consider marriage!" Katniss just released a puff of air and scowled. Mrs Everdeen continued pulling and twisting hair, as she spoke 

"Gale has secured a post in the King's palace..." She said tentatively.

"Well, good for him! Now all he needs is to stop that nonsense of wanting to court me!" She bit out. "Does he even know why exactly did I come here?" She asked her mother accusingly. 

"Of course he does!" Said her mother indignantly. "It was the biggest piece of gossip in town for weeks!" She said with a frown and lot deal of disgust.

"If it was such a big deal, then how is it that Prim does not seem to know? I seems a little out of the ordinary from her!" This the accusation was mixed with anxiety and relief.

"Your sister despises gossip, you know that!" It is true, Prim would pointedly walk away from her friends as soon as they started sharing gossips. "But, I also think, she is a little bit in denial... Same as Gale, I must point out..." her face was stern. 

"Well, Prim will soon find out about my sleeping arrangements... Not that am looking forward to that conversation. And as for Gale..." She paused with a sad expression on her features "I will always be viewed as His Grace's mistress, even if he produces all the medical affidavit in the world stating otherwise... It will not do for him to keep pining away for me. It is not fair nor right. He is a knight of the King's Court, he can do so much better than me" The topic irritated her so much, she could not hide it any less than she could hide her infatuation with the Duke. Mrs. Everdeen pressed her lips together. 

"Katniss, dear, Gale would be hard pressed to find a better match than you. You are smart, beautiful and hard working. Any man would die to have you as a bride!"

"Yes, well... all I know, is that I refuse to marry any man I do not feel strongly about, and since..."

"Since the one you do feel strongly about is already married, you will, what? Stay alone forever?"

"I had decided to remained unwed, years before all this happened Mother. Peeta had no bearing on that decision"

"Do you call the Duke, by his Christian name?" Her mother asked a little alarmed. It was unusual for people to call acquaintances by their first names specially nobility, unless they were related or very closed friends.

Katniss frowned. "No, not Peter..."

Before she could finish her explanation, there was a knock on the door, and a second later, Leevy let herself into the dressing room. 

"My Lady, a message from His Grace..." She produced a small piece of paper folded in half, and handed it to Katniss. 

She read the note, and chuckled at whatever it was he wrote. Her mother gave her a questioning look, she openly ignored, then asked Leevy for a pen. She started scribbling a response on the same paper, and handed it back to the maid. 

"See that he gets it before he goes to wash up for supper. Thank you Leevy." She said with a smile, when the maid had turn to leave, she called her back, "Leevy? Would you come in 5 minutes to escort my Mother to her chamber? I would appreciate it greatly if you should assist her for today. We will have Bristle take over tomorrow, after she comes back from her day off!" 

"Certainly, Lady Katniss!" she nodded and was gone. 

Katniss had a silly grin on her face for a few more moments after Leevy had left. Her mother finished fixing her hair, and spoke once more. 

"Done" She said softly. "Now you look like a proper Lady..." She trailed off and looked down at her daughter with such love, Katniss felt tears formed in her eyes. "You look beautiful, dear!" She kissed her child on the crown of her head, and allowed her to stand up. 

"Thank you!" She said, and felt ten years old, so she rushed to embraced her mommy, she had been gone too long, but now was back somehow.

In no time, there was the knock announcing Leevy's presence, and both women parted, with a nod.

 

==========

 

"Oh, Sir, you have the funniest stories I have ever heard!" Prim manage to say between fits of laughter. 

Diner was served at 7:00 on the dot. It had been a very nice affair, everyone was content and enjoying a full belly.

Dessert was announced, and while there was some shifting while the guests were readying to relocate for it, the Duke leaned into his Concubine, and whispered (or he thought he did, he was loud enough that the rest of the party actually overheard the whole exchange) 

"You look beautiful tonight. Your hair is different!" His eyes admiring her face and hair sweetly.

"Do you like it? I can wear it like this if you so preferred it." She responded with a tiny tentative smile.

"I would love anything you do with your hair, really, but, I must confess, I am rather partial to your usual braid... it is more, _You_ , if that makes any sense at all." He said happily 

Her smiled broaden, "Good! I agree with you completely!" He then offer her his forearm, which she took easily and lead them out of the dining hall. 

Although, all the women had been witness to the interaction between the Duke and his Lady, only Prim found it more intriguing than troublesome.

By the time 8:00 rolled in, they were having dessert in the parlor, while the Duke regaled them with stories of his many guests and hunting trips. All the women were in stitches. Then Lady Trinket, announced their itinerary for the next day, Prim was to meet Portia, the Town seamstress at 11:00 am, and Katniss was meeting her husband Cinna at 11:30 after Prim had been left set up with Portia. Katniss' head snapped up to see Peeta, who was nursing a glass of an Amber color liquid, standing by the fireplace. 

"Am I to see Cinna? Whatever for? I have more clothes than I can wear in a year!" It was a gross exaggeration, her wardrobe was ample enough to allowed her to go a month without repeating one outfit if she so chose to, but not quite a year.

Peeta smiled, "You do not expect to go on your very first hunting outing wearing a gown with a full skirt and 20 petticoats under, do you, my Lady?"

Her eyes widened in excitement, she sprung out of her seat and rushed to throw her arms around his neck, "Thank you, thank you, thank you Peeta!!! I can not believe you are really taking me out hunting! It is going to be so exciting!!! Who else is going to be joining us?" She was so happy, she completely forgot they were in a room full of people, and her reaction was not appropriate at all. 

Peeta just chuckled at her enthusiasm, and circled her waist with his arms, ignoring the tension on the stance of the three woman in the room. The two older women had disapproving etched in their features, but the younger one, was just stunned, understanding slowly sinking in, her features started to morph into something else. 

"Do not thank me just yet, my dear. Wait until you see the 'feminine' trousers Cinna has in mind for you!" He said pleased with himself.

"Trousers? Are you serious?" She gasped in astonishment, it was not very often women wore britches.

"Well, yes, I want you to be comfortable riding and scouring... And Cinna has promised to make them ample enough, they could pass for skirts. It should be his best yet..." 

"Forgive me, Sir, but absolutely not! Lady Katniss will not go around traipsing in men clothing! It is not proper!" A very indignant Effie Trinket interrupted.

"I concur with the Lady Trinket! I am sorry, but I do not think it to be a good idea. My child has an image to protect!" Mrs Everdeen chimed in.

Lady Trinket gave a 'Hum' of approval. And Katniss immediately released her hold on Peeta, and started to knead her hands together nervously, she looked at the brink of tears, her eyes downcast, like the reprimanded little girl she was... Peeta cleared his throat softly, stiffening his stance. 

"Oh... I am sorry..." His tone sour, the sarcasm so palpable the whole room went eerily quiet... The Duke was speaking now. "I was not aware, I needed to ask permission to get MY Lady an article of clothing   **I** think appropriate for her to wear!" His voice so hard, all four woman, along with the few attendants present in the room shrank. "I was under the impression that I was still Master of this house, am I wrong?" Peeta was seething. One glance at the way Katniss was reduced into meekness by the older women, had enraged him like never before. 

"I-I apologize my Lord, I meant no disrespect..." Lady Trinket started.

"And yet you bully Winter Home's Mistress into tears?" He was shouting at Effie now... "I suggest you apologize to _her_ , both of you... not to me!"

"Peeta, please... No! It is fine! I am fine... I do not need..." Katniss rushed to say, hanging from his arm, he was shivering with anger.

"Are you going to tell me what to do as well, Katniss? It is not fine! I will not have anyone talking down on you in **my** house, in my _presence_!" His eyes could not focus correctly, and his hands were in very tight fists, which she was massaging now. In her most soothing voice she tried to speak.

"My sweet Peeta, please... I am not telling you what to do, I am merely asking that you breath more deeply..." They were both intently staring at each other, Peeta started to relax his breathing. So she quickly glanced at the rest of the room, "Leave us for a moment! Wait for us in the library" No one opposed the command. 

Once alone, Katniss shifted to stand in from of Peeta instead of by his side as she had been when disentangled from their embrace. She was squeezing both his biceps, her eyes soft and intense at the same time. She loosen her grip on his arms, and slid her hands to clasp his. 

"They mean well, you know... Please, do not be angry" her voice soothing, she reached to run her fingers through his hair, and he closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. "That's it! Breath Peeta, breath!" She whispered.

He brought his hands to her waist and held firmly onto her, letting himself be soothed by her touch. 

"I do not even care if they are right... They should never make you feel badly for a decision I have made on your behalf! I hate that they attacked you... I hate the mannered in which they talked, to you, to me. If I want to get you straight up man clothing it is my prerogative, and I well bloody will get whatever it is I want. I am the Duke, damn it! What good is my bloody title and wealth if I can not shower you with luxurious gifts!" He heaved angrily. 

"I do not need gifts, sweetie" She said barely audible. Fingers still playing with his blond locks. "All I want is for you to be content... If you are content, I am content"

"But... You were so excited..." He whined to her and snaked his arms around her hips. "I love it when you get excited, because it so rarely happens... But, then I absolutely hate it, when your excitement gets crushed like it did" He pulled her so closed to him there was not a part of their bodies that was not touching.

She buried her forehead in the hollow of his neck, nose pressed to the collar of his shirt, breathing him in. He kissed her cheek, his hand came to cup her neck, and kissed her again along jaw line, her breath hitched, and pulled herself closer to him. He kissed her chin, and she sighed softly, he kissed her neck on the opposite side of where his hand was, while she threw her head back slightly, opening a path for his lips, but then, she half moaned and half sighed his name, "Peeta..." Calling him back to his senses. He stayed with his nosed pressed to the side of her neck and his lips to her throat for a second, before pushing away from her. He kissed her forehead, just because he needed to. 

He pressed his forehead against hers, and said softly, "Do you want me to apologize to them? I will if you ask me to, otherwise I will not." He was breathing heavily.

"Yes... I think it best if you do apologize." She mumbled, then giggled, he gave her questioning look, "I doubt any one will ever dare to speak out of turn in front of you!" She giggled some more, and he chuckled with her. His hand caressing her cheek. 

"Serves them right!" He said in a much lighter mood. "Come, is getting late and we need you and your sister to get to bed at a decent time. You have a long day ahead tomorrow." 

 

============

 

"Does my daughter always act this familiar with His Grace?" Mrs Everdeen had been pacing the library for a full two minutes before she had gathered her courage to make the question. Prim followed her mother's movements with her gaze, not wanting to miss anything. 

Lady Trinket, who was sitting on a plush chair, stif as a rod, with a grim expression on her face, looked at the other woman, for a minute, before inhaling deeply, she twisted her lips to one side, and sat on the edge of her chair. "My dear Ms. Everdeen, Katniss is a very good girl, very sweet... Very proper when she needs to be." She stood up and crossed her arms, before speaking slowly.

"I was not blessed with children of my own. I did carried one daughter, but she was stillborn..." She said without emotion.

"I am so sorry to hear, my Lady." Mrs Everdeen offered. 

"It is quite, alright Madame. It was over 35 years ago." She stated. "But, I do understand your concern, my esteemed Mrs. Everdeen. I had my reservations as well when I first met Lady Katniss, for I raised the Duke, since he was a toddler, he has been under my charge since the moment he was weaned, and I love him as if had birthed him myself... You have to understand, that he never asked, nor wanted for any of this, but the Duchess..." Her nose flared and her eyes flashed anger, but she composed herself fast. "We did not know what to expect, when Lady Katniss' arrival was announced to us... she is so very young, but she is very brilliant as well... You have to believe me when I tell you, I have been trying my hardest to keep her well taken care of, I have appointed myself as her mentor on many of her duties to the house, and she has been incredible, you should be proud of the great Homemaker she already is..." She took to pacing, while the other woman decided to take a seat next to her younger daughter, whom had been quiet as a mouse. They held hands. 

"But, as the silly Farm Hands always say, 'as chance would have it', she and the Duke met before their official introduction... Whatever happened between them in that first encounter, remains a mystery to us all. All anybody knows is that, she was quite outraged when they met officially, apparently, he never said who he was, not correcting her, when she mistook him for a dog watcher!" She scoffed at that "I do not even want to imagine, what his appearance was like to prompt her to that conclusion..." She shook her head, "I swear... She is no better than he is when it comes to that Kennel!" Her voice dark and sullen "I expect, that is part of his reason..." She muttered more to herself than to the other two on the couch. "In any case... She, it turns out has devoted herself to the running of this house, and when she can spare time, she also involves herself on Farm affairs... Lady Katniss and his Grace, have develop a deep friendship." She looked at Mrs Everdeen straight in the eyes, and understanding passed between them. 

Mrs. Everdeen shifted in her seat, then looked at Lady Trinket, and said. "They are friends now... But, for how long? How long can they keep their friendship platonic and chaste? They are young, they spend way too much time alone, together... I do not doubt His Grace is a true gentleman, but... We all witness, how protective he is of her, not at all like friend. He already treats her like his..."

"Wife!" Prim interjected hastily. "He treats her like what she should be, instead of what she is!... Just please do not use the word... I can not handle it" she pleaded with her mother. 

"I am so sorry, Prim." Mrs Everdeen said sadly to her youngest. Then looking up at Effie she said, almost in tears. "You should think me a terrible mother, to allow this to be my daughter'a life" 

Effie, sat next to the woman, and placed a comforting hand on her back, "Oh no, my esteemed Ms Everdeen. I do not judge you! I understand that sometimes we find ourselves in terrible circumstances..."

"Katniss!" Prim stood up still clutching her mother's hand into her own.

"Ladies, I would like to apologize to all of you, for losing my temper and behaving so poorly toward all of you. I should have not raised my voice in anger, and I truly regret my actions. Although, I stand by my decision, Lady Katniss will get the outfit I had commission for her, with the proviso, that only her, can decide wether she wants to don it or not. It is completely up to you ma'am, I will not pressure into wearing something if you should feel uncomfortable with it." He said looking straight into Katniss' eyes. She smiled softly at him, and whispered a, 

"Thank you, Sir"

After the other women had dipped their heads in acceptance to his apologies, they all proffered their own apologies in turn. And, after a few tense moments, Peeta tried to be as pleasant as he could, in an attempt to salvaged the evening for Katniss' sake. After about 20 minutes, of relaxed banter, Lady Trinket excused herself and headed to bed, not before reminding everyone, of their schedule the next day. She finally bid them good night, and was gone. The Everdeen women, decided to visit for a little longer, and Peeta was happy to accompany them. Everything was going great, except, there is so much patience a young lady can hold, until it reaches it's breaking point. 

"I must confessed, when I realized my sister was coming to Winter Home for the season, I was so jealous! To visit this place is just but a dream for many back in the Capitol... And I must say, the descriptions of the house and grounds does not really do it justice!" Prim gushed, eyes twinkling and smile crazed with... Excitement?..."I have so many questions! Do tell... Is it true, there are a hundred horses here? Or, was it the stables can house a hundred horses... I can not quite remember!"

Katniss laughed, "No!... We have 27 horses total, and two of the mares are pregnant, so we will have some foals soon!" She said proudly. 

"Mmm... Foal? Is that what a baby horse is called? I did not know... Why, I am already learning new things... How thrilling!" Prim said smile bright and broad.

Katniss let out a melodic laugh, and Peeta gazed at her adoringly with a smile of his own. He reached to grasp her hand, giving it a light kiss, at which Katniss responded with a smile and a visible squeeze to his hand. Prim's eyes narrowed on the gesture, and made her last question of the night, finally fed up.

"So, what is your baby going to be called, when you conceive? A bastard?" Prim's face had lost all merriment, her features turning to disgust, her eyes hard and accusing.

"PRIMROSE!" Her mother roared, but the blow was already dealt.

Katniss eyes almost fell out of her skull. She sprung out of her seat and stood as far away from Peeta as she could managed, then stuttered a litany of unintelligible words to her sister. Peeta's anger ignited instantaneously, but before he could get a word out, Mother Everdeen was yelling at her child,

"Primrose, you apologize to your sister... Right now." Her eyes fiery, "And apologize to the Duke as well! I can not believe your behavior?" 

" _ **MY**_ behavior? What about yours? You have been acting like this normal, when it should not be at all... My sister is a fucking Concubine, Mother!!! Are you alright with your daughter sharing a bed with a married man? Are we starving so much she has to resolved to... To be... Nothing but a play thing for her master..." Prim's rage was turning into a full blown inferno. 

Peeta could not contain himself any more, "That's enough! I will not have anyone, come to my house an insult her or me! You better listen to your mother and apologize to Katniss, right now!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs, spittle flying out his mouth in every direction, Katniss fell on her knees sobbing. This was not happening... Her sweet sister could not be saying this things. 

But, Prim released one more damaging statement,

"Or What? You are going to ban me from you Estate?" Her voice low and dangerous. She stomped towards Peeta, until she was mere inches away from his face, she too had that fire in her eyes, but unlike the erotic effect Katniss grey eyes had on him, Prim's cerulean eyes made him want to recoil. "Send me away!" She challenged, voice still low an dangerous, "I can not be under the roof of the man whose wife tried to convinced a 14 year old to fuck her husband in exchange of food and shelter... You are both despicable" Her words hard, dripping with anger and disgust. 

Peeta's eyes widen in horror, as he understood Prim's meaning. _'I volunteered_ ' came an echo of the first conversation he and Katniss ever had... She volunteered to take Prim's place; because, now that he has have a good look at the 15 year old girl in front of him, he could see an eerie resemblance to another 15 year old girl he once knew... One who wore flower earrings. He was going to kill Cashmere for this. Prim raised an eyebrow, her features still hard, but she could see the surprise in his eyes. "You did not know, did you? **_I_** was the one the Duchess wanted in your bed! My sister just would not allow it... I just did not know or understand, what the ' _opportunity to help my family_ ' was. Now I know."

"Prim..." Katniss whimpered weakly from the floor. "Please... Is not how you think..." She pleaded.

"Katniss I get it! You did this for me, for Mother... But I can not look at you right now... I can not accept gifts from your slavery." With that she bolted out of the room, the house... She ran in the cold dark, without a coat or proper winter garments to keep her warm... She could not go very far, she was already shivering, and her fingers felt achy On the tips. She passed a big dark barn, that look intimidating, she stood on front of the big wooden doors, debating if she wanted to venture in or not... It might provide some warmth. But, her decision was made for her, when a man came strolling out of the barn, holding a lamp, jumping backwards, as he saw the unexpected girl standing out there in the middle of the night. She jumped too, startled. 

"Hello there missy!" the man called. "You must be, little Miss Everdeen!" 

 

 **To Be Continued...**  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize if Prim came across OOC... It was intentional! Here, She and Katniss are a little bit closer in age for story telling reasons... I figure she being older could open the opportunity for her to resent her sister being in the need to take her place to save her from an awful fate. 
> 
> Also... I know that a few nameless characters in the books, have 'FanFic Canon' names, I.e: Peeta's middle brother is always Rye according to Fan Fin canon, Katniss and Peeta's daughter is usually Willow (although Mrs Collins actually reveal the kids names to be Willow and Rye) Mrs. E, however does not have a set fiction canon name, and I really thing that for the purposes of this particular story, her Original Canon name is sufficient, I decided to leave at that.
> 
> I hope to post the second part of this chapter in a few days, I'm still working on it, but it is pretty much done. Hopefully, I can have it out, before all you my pretty readers leave the web and head towards the theaters!!! 
> 
> Happy opening week all!!!


	8. The Everdeen Women, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable Characters or locations from the Hunger Games!
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: Angry Prim ahead! Proceed with caution! Leave comments at the end!
> 
> Warning #2: Time line jumping... Sorry

_Prim had run into the dark cold night, she felt shivers, and debated if she wanted to seek shelter into the dark intimidating barn, when a man, walked out of it, startling both of them. He called out to her,_

_"Hello there missy! You must be, little Miss Everdeen!"_

 

She heard, more than saw his smile as his spoke. She cautiously answered,

"No I am most certainly not! Miss Everdeen is my sister, as she is oldest and still unwed." Mistrust shrouded her against the stranger.

"Oh, I am sorry to have to correct you madame, but, you see, here at Winter Home, your sister is known as The Lady Katniss, so, I guess here at Winter Home, you would be known as Miss Everdeen! Title is all yours ma'am!" Replied the man happily. 

He took a couple steps closer to Prim, holding the lamp hanging from his hand, above his shoulder, so Prim could finally see his face more clearly. He had kind, grey eyes, and a small smile that made her relax a notch, although she was still very weary of him.

"The name is Thom, ma'am! And if it is all the same to you, I will escort you back into the house now. It is awfully cold tonight! You could catch a nasty cold, if you stay out too long." He smiled at her, and in true Everdeen form, she scowled. 

"I... Can not be in that house right now." She forced out.

He hummed in understanding , and said in his most casual tone, "Very well, how about this? You take my coat, and come with me to the kitchens? ... I am aware that the kitchens are _In_ the house, where you can not be at right now, but it is warm, is better lighted, and there are hot beverages and bandages that I need... I was headed there any way. What say you, Miss Everdeen?" 

Prim, eyed the man for a moment, but the chill that had dug deep in her bones won out at the end. She nodded her acquiescence. He shed his coat, and put it around her lithe shoulders... She felt something move inside the lining of the coat, and nearly shrieked throwing the garment off of her. Thom, scrambled to pick it up, and frantically looked into the pockets, he sighed in relief once he found what he was searching for. 

"What the hell was that?" Prim asked angrily. 

"Oh, my bad ma'am... I forgot the little fellow was in there. Umm... This here is my new friend... 'Kitty'!" he said, holding up a tiny ginger fur ball. "Found him meowing in pain by the kennels, I guess he got too close and one of our dogs attacked him, his hind leg is pretty badly hurt, but he'll live!" He said, smiling at the orange Kitten.

"Oh my Gosh! He is adorable!" Prim squealed at the sight of the cat. All animosity and mistrust forgotten. "Can I hold him?"

Thom grinned brightly at the young maid, and wordlessly handed her the injured animal. He placed his coat around her again, and with a 'follow me' hand motion, he started toward the kitchens, she trailing closed behind clutching the cat to her chest.

He was right about the kitchens! warmth radiated from within, she could see the glow of the lights from outside the windows, he opened the door, and the warmth washed over them deliciously. Although Winter Home counts with electricity and heating as some of it's many amenities, there was a hearth, with a merry fire flickering, in the middle if the kitchen... it was wonderful in there. The kitchen was surprisingly full of people, all workers. They all turned around to welcome the newcomers, some were surprise to see Prim there, but nobody made a fuss about it. 

Quickly, somebody had handed her a mug of steamy hot cocoa, and piece of bread. Which she took gratefully. She asked for a saucer of milk, and everybody just looked at her funny, until she raised the small cat for all to see. Soon the cat was on a side counter top licking his dinner frantically. 

Thom took a nearby stool and sat next to her.

"Have you gotten those bandages? We will also need some salve for those cuts... And there is a nasty gash right on his thigh, but I think I can suture it if you provide me with some needle and thread..." She not once looked at the man, who was observing her while she poked and prodded the cat, assessing his injuries. "He lost a chunk of his ear right here... Nothing we can do to help it. Other than that, I think you are right! He will live!" She smiled brightly at the cat. It was the first smile she had had on her face after the library debacle. 

Somebody brought her a first aid kit, along with a pair of scissors, thread and needle. Somebody else produced some rubbing alcohol and gauze, and she made quick work of the kitten. She finally bandaged the little creature, and wrapped it into a towel, the cat went to sleep cozily on her lap, while she caressed his head. 

"I guess it runs in the family..." Said Thom, softly. 

"What does?" Prim asked, with a fresh scowl on her features. Thom smiled again.

"Love for animals?" He responded easily. "Our Lady loves dogs and horses..."

"She hates cats! She would have probably try to drown him in a bucket, under the guise of taking him out of his misery" she retorted irritably.

"huh!"

"What?" She bite out.

"Nothing... I just find it curious, that is all..." He said indifferently.

"Find what curious?" She asked impatiently.

"Well, Lady Katniss has always gushed about how close she is with her sister, how the two of you are such good friends... It is just curious, that after a day at Winter Home, which is the most relaxing place in Panem, you my lady Everdeen, seem to be fostering a lot of animosity towards our Lady." He shrug as if he was talking about nothing consequential at all.

"Ugh! Can you please stop calling her 'Lady'? She is nothing but a glorified slut!" All the friendly chatter that had filled the kitchen died immediately at her outburst, all eyes were on her as a collective gasp resounded in the air. 

Prim did not feel very welcome in this room anymore. It was Old Sae, the head cook, who broke the thick silence. 

"Oh dearie, you better take that back before somebody goes to the Master and tattle! Bad mouthing the Lady of the house is something we frown upon in here!" She said slowly, not in anger, but with a warning hint.

"I-I... I do not get it! Why is everybody so loyal to her? She is not the actual Lady of the house, she is not the Duchess!" For the second time in less than two minutes the kitchen went dead quiet for a split second, before disdainful sounds and people spiting at the word Duchess filled the air again.

"Goddamn it girl!" Thom growl, grabbing her by the elbow, and pulling her into the empty corridor. "You are intent on keep putting your foot in your mouth, aren't you? Word of advice... Never speak of the Duchess, nobody wants to hear about her... Also, never call Katniss a slut... In this house, their roles are reversed. Cashmere might have the Mellark name attached to her, but around here, is your sister we considered the Duke's rightful wife!" He exhale frustratedly. "Get it? Now, stop making the Help hate you! It will not do you any favors" Still clutching her elbow, he walked back into the kitchen, and sat her down unceremoniously on the straight back chair she had been on. Prim was annoyed, but understood she needed to make nice with this people, unless she wanted to get poisoned... Or at the very least, spittle on her food. She sat there quietly for a moment or two, with her brows furrowed, and lips pursed. 

"I... I am sorry, for speaking ill of my sister... I just... Still do not get it. She has not been here but two, almost three months, and you all love her? How is she so special? You do not owe her your allegiance, yet, you actually treat her as if she was your Mistress." she spoke to the kitchen in general. 

"Fair enough" said Thom from his perch on the stool next to her, "let's see... Ah! Perfect!" he muttered, then exclaimed with a grin. "Pip my boy! Who is Katniss Everdeen?" He asked loudly, to the brown haired boy, with eyes the color of honey. He seem to be about Prim's age. 

Pip answered enthusiastically, "Why, she is both Fortuna and Diana! The living Goddess of Winter Home!" 

There was an uproar of hoots, and other various approving noises.

"Aye! That she is... But why?" Thom ask perking up! 

A different guy spoke up now, "She is good luck, mate! And one heck of a shot!" More hoots and ayes. 

"Now ladies... What say you? Who is Lady Everdeen?" Came Thom's voice once again, smiling broadly.

"She is the best laundress, cook and dog groomer in Merch!" Sae exclaimed. "Never seen a girl work as hard as she does! Always with a grateful smile on her face, always there to lend a helping hand! Girl is an angel! the kind of woman that should grace the Master's arm!"

"Now, why do we pledge allegiance to her?" Thom was now standing up, energy oozing from him.

"She is got a sharp eye for good business! She is extremely smart, incredibly gorgeous, generous, and treats all of like we matter!" The voice rang clear in the otherwise hectic kitchen. Every one stood up and bowed, on the direction of the kitchen doors.

A collective murmured salute of "Your Grace!" was heard all around. Prim finally found the Duke standing at the entrance of the kitchen, his previously pristine outfit, disheveled, shirt untucked, jacket gone, vest unbuttoned, and sleeves rolled up, perfectly combed hair was replaced with tussled blond curls. 

"Dismissed!" 

Everybody gathered up whatever they needed and in less than a minute the kitchen was deserted, except for Thom, Peeta and Prim.

"Sir," Thom approached, "Go easy on her... She is just a little hurt, and confused, and angry. We all do or say things we do not mean when we are angry" He pleaded on behalf of Primrose. Peeta nodded. Thom gave him a sideway smirk. "See you in the morrow!" He turn on his heel, picked up his coat from the back of Prim's chair, gathered the sleeping cat in his arm, bowed to Prim...

"Miss Everdeen!"

And he was gone.

"I have been looking for you all around the grounds." He said calmly.

"How did you find me, your Grace?" She asked tiredly.

"Thom sent for me." He replied, and took a step deeper into the kitchen, he pulled up a chair and sat across from her. "You should apologize to your sister, you hurt her feelings really bad. Also, to your mother, she was worried sick." He stared at the girl with soft eyes. 

"Who apologizes to me? I was brought here to find out, you been using my sister to satisfy your manly needs... All because my Mother could not keep it together and left my sister to pick up the pieces! All because your wife is a heartless, selfish bitch slut, that is basically doing the same thing my sister is doing, only she actually has not need for it, whereas my sister... Well, we all know we would have probably starved to death by now if it wasn't for her." All the fight had left her body, she was exhausted.

"Well Primrose, let me start by apologizing to you then. Although I am not responsible for most of the reasons you listed. I am so very sorry, you came here under false expectations. I am sorry you are so angry at all of us. And I am especially sorry, that Cashmere went after you and your sister." Prim just sat there and stared into his eyes, unyielding. So he continued. "You are wrong about me and Katniss, you know?... We have never have had sex."

She scoffed at that, crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back on the chair, and stretch her legs out, folding them at the ankles. "Please! I might be 15, but I have seen enough animals in heat to recognize the signs... Why, you probably mate like bunnies!" Her gaze accusatory. He frown a little "I have never seen her behave like that before with a boy!" He had to fight off a smile. "If it had been any of the guys back home, she would have probably chop of your hand for touching her they way you do..." she paused and looked him up and down, appraising him. "She is like... In love with you or something" she said disgusted.

"Is that so bad?" He asked and hated how hopefully his tone was.

"Of course is bad!" she shouted. "You are MA - RRIED!" She separated the syllables out for him. "She is now ruined!" She huffed out.

"No, she is not. I already told you, we never had sex. I have never even kissed her in the lips... She won't let me!" He shrug.

"You lie!" She retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Nope. I swear is true"

"Why not? You clearly can not keep your eyes off of her, let alone your hands. What is stoping you?"

"I love her!" He simply stated.

She gave him an incredulous look. "Well, now, I am really confused... You will not deflower a beautiful woman, who sleeps in your bed every night and has signed a legal document stating that you have the right to fuck her any time you want, because... You... love Her? That makes absolutely no sense!" Her eyes intense searching his. "Explain yourself" 

Peeta nodded. "She does not want to love me. No matter what I feel for her, and I will not use her that way, I will not ruin her" He used her own words in hopes that his message was clear. "Because, you are right. I am married. I am married to a heartless, selfish bitch slut, that I hate with every ounce of my being. I am trapped, in a sham of a marriage, and will never be able to court Katniss the way she deserves, I will never be able to propose to her, or make her my wife. So, I rather she has a shot at a happy normal life after her contract is terminated." 

Prim frowned. "You say, you hate your wife? You must have loved her at some point?" She asked curiously, her voice loosing the angry, disdainful edge. 

Peeta grimaced a little, before answering. "I have never been in love with Cashmere, we married because the King ordered it. He needed an excuse to have her around, and I was the perfect one... I did not always hate her... She is a product of circumstances, just as much as you and your sister are, the difference is, Katniss strived to work hard to survive, and my dear wife decided to do it on her back" It was strange for him, that he was able to talk about his marriage, without being enraged. 

"She must have done something pretty horrible, if you hate her for different reasons than openly cheating on you for all of Panem to see. You know? She was called 'Her Royal Cuntness'... I thought the name was crass and insulting... But, now I see it has merit!" She brighten up a tad while saying the last sentence. Peeta, laughed a little bitterly.

"I think is clever... I personally had never heard the name before, but it is now branded in my brain for ever... I need to remember to share it with the Earl of Seam."

"Do you know him? The Earl?" Prim straighten up in her chair at the mention of Haymitch. Peeta was curious. 

"Uh... Yes, I do know him... Why?"

Returning to her rebellious position, she shrugged, "just curious, it is said he was married to a Mockingjay."

"That is true. He was married to Lady Maysilee, from the House of Donner, better known as the Mockingjays." He said studying her for a reaction. She gave him none.

"What happened to the Countess, then?" She asked evenly.

"She passed away, after a series of unfortunate events."

"Pity... was she the last one? The last Mockingjay?" She asked, and there was real regret in her question.

"No... There is still one. But, she will never be able to sing like a Mockingjay." He said, still searching her features curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Morbid curiosity I guess" she said dismissively. "Their voices are legendary" with that she closed the topic, and quickly asked another question. "Why did you asked for a Concubine? Why was your wife so fixed on getting you her doppelgänger, if you dislike her so much? She threw a fit when Katniss signed the contract instead of me." She made a sweeping downwards motion with her hand, starting from her face, to illustrate her words.  

Peeta, pressed his lips together, crossed his muscular arms over his chest, in a mirror position to Prim.

"I believe she wanted to appeal to my 'preference' as your sister calls it... It was not exactly _her_ doppelgänger she was seeking..." He then pointed at her hair, "Straight hair... Hers is curly." He said staring without seeing. After a minute, he refocus his sight on her face, and said firmly, "I never asked for a Concubine. I did not want one. I still do not want one. I had already decided I was not going to touch whoever poor girl, she would send to me... And before you ask, No, I did not have a choice in the matter, she all but have the King order me to take the maid in." He said resentment and frustration evident. 

"But, you said you love Katniss?" She asked with a frown. 

"I do. I love her more than I have ever loved anyone before. I love her so much, it physically hurts me when she is sad. And today, she felt so much pain, and so much distress, I had to have your mother force feed her sleep syrup. I am very unhappy with you Primrose, but I am trying to put myself in your position, so I can understand your pain, and your anger... And I am sorry, Cashmere preyed on you, using your bad situation. I am sorry, your sister took your place and now her reputation is shut... I swear I fully intend to have her marry a man she can love and be happy with. And I swore to her, you and your mother, will never want for anything ever again. Not even after she leaves me and marries someone else." She could clearly see the amount of pain this conversation was causing him. 

In an attempt for levity, she mumbled "Well, I guess she was dead wrong then... It seems your preference is not fair, sweet and 15!" She giggled at her own joke.

He merely smiled mildly. 

"I am sorry I kind of blew up on all of you. I know that it must have cost her a great deal of courage and pain to chose this life in order to give me a better chance... I still hate it. But, I guess I am not as rage-full as before." she said contritely. "Thank you... Thank you for talking to me, explaining some of your reasons, although, I will have you know, it did not escape me, you deliberately ignored my question concerning your feelings toward your wife, but it is alright... I will ask the question again someday." Peeta's eyes widened in surprise; this Everdeen girls... they were _trouble_! He said that to himself when he met inquisitive, beautiful Katniss, now he repeated it, after sharp, observant Primrose, outed him. 

She continued, ignoring his dumbstruck expression. "Thank you for your patience. Thank you for... Not claiming my sister's virtue, I guess... I am sure with time, she would not oppose to open up her..."

"Wow, 10:15 at night! Time really flew by! We need to get you to go to sleep if you want to store up energy, for your busy day tomorrow!" He hastily interrupted the girl before she could finish whatever thought she was sharing... It did not stopped her, though.

"Heart to you!... Open. Up. Her _**heart**!" _ She narrowed her eyes at him, "Why do men always go there first?" She exclaimed indignantly "God! It is like the whole gender have their brains housed in their dicks!" She looked at him with furrowed brow, like she was expecting him to explain this to her. Since nothing from him was forthcoming, she asked something else, "Are you really, still going to buy me clothes after all the shit that I pulled tonight?"

He laughed, a real laugh. "You are like a younger, towny version of Dame Johanna Mason! How did you get so crass?" his whole body was shaking with laughter. "And, yes... I am still getting your wardrobe, you need it, and Katniss will want you to get it regardless" 

"I live in the Capitol" she retorted with an eye roll, "Katniss had Father's old bow, I had my wits and words... We had to learn how to fend off unscrupulous men looking for an easy target, which for a while they thought we were, with Father being gone an all." She said and flip her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Katniss, blessed her heart, thought only her got approached. I always looked up to her, when she rebuffed men's advances, she had pride! _I_ had pride... in her. I guess that is partially the reason it pissed me off so much seeing her making googly eyes at you, it made me sick to think she would become everything she fought so hard not to be... No offense, but nobles are usually bastards" Zero inflection in her comment.

"None taken. You are right for the most part, but not all nobility is awful." His eyes were hard, he was still musing on Prim's words about how men would pursue easy targets. He did not like it, he was thinking of what Katniss told him once, ' _Men in the Capitol are not blind, but they know to stay away from us_ '. It was sickening, they were so young, Prim was only 15, and already she was as crass and bitter as Lord Abernathy. "For what is worth... From now on, you are all under my protection, no man will be allowed to bring unwanted attention to either of you." 

"Are you still willing to allow Katniss to wed? Not that it matters, she will not do it. She is afraid she will suffer Mother's fate: lose the love of her life, and her will to live along with him." she had him pinned in place with her stare.

"If she wishes to marry, she will. It will not change my decision to protect you and your mother, when she does. I just... Can not lose the connection to her, she will never be mine, but I could still... Look after you for her" he finished lamely, rubbing his face roughly with both his hands. 

"Fine! Deal!" She sit up straight and scooted to the edge of her chair, extending her hand for him to shake. "I will take Katniss' slavery gift, I will apologize to her and Mother, I will behave like the sweet innocent girl they view me as, and I will allow you take care of us. I will respect you as well... You are no so bad... You are not the dick I thought you were at all." He looked at her hand for a moment. Then at her,

"What deal am I entering with you tonight, Miss Everdeen?"  He asked cautiously, inching his hand toward hers slowly. 

"Deal is: you keep it in your pants unless she offers, you will not abuse your position or title, we will not be viewed as meat in the market, we will marry whom we want.  _ **We**_..."She pointed between the two of them, "will always be honest with each other, Your Grace. Do we have an accord?" She thrusted her open hand forward more forcefully, head tilted, lips pursed, eyes never wavering. "and call me Prim, we are past niceties"

"Deal!" He took her hand and shook firmly. "You drive a hard bargain, Prim!" he enunciated her preferred name, and she nodded satisfied. 

"Should I call you Peter, or is it my sister the only one allowed such liberties?" She asked, adding "Your Grace" At the end with a smirk.

He laughed, Prim was by far the cheekiest maid he had ever met. "Peeta will do. Just, you are not suppose to call me that in public." 

"Understood!" She then gave a yawn, and stretched her arms and legs. "So... I should go to bed. I will have a very busy day tomorrow, apologizing to every living soul in this house... Which reminds me, do you think I could have a word with your employees? I think I should clear the air with them as well, I did insult their Mistress after all." 

"Sure, I will arrange for Thom to gather them all after breakfast, you can address them then. Now, let us escort you to your mother's. She requested a word with you, after we had our little discussion"

Prim groaned, but stood up straight and stoic, just like her sister. "Lead the way then, my Lord!"

 

=============

 

_"Prim... Please... Is not how you think..."_

_"Katniss I get it! You did this for me, for Mother... But I can not look at you right now... I can not accept gifts from your slavery."_

 

Prim took off running out of the library, leaving behind devastation and pain. Mrs. Everdeen hesitated between running after Prim or going to her eldest daughter who was sobbing and heaving hard, on the floor like a rag doll. Peeta, jumped into action for her,

"I will go after her... Please tend to Katniss!" He was already jogging out of the room, "THRESH" He called his butler, but it was not necessary, he was already standing by the door, it had been hard not to hear all the commotion coming from the library, and Thresh was already on his way, when the hurricane that was Primrose passed him by towards the front of the house.

"My Lord!" He said, tension in his voice. He only needed a glance at his Master's eyes. "She ran past me, out the front doors, Sir. There was no telling where she was going."

Peeta cussed under his breath, he removed his ascot from his collar, and handed it to Thresh.

"I need my coat, and probably a blanket... Once I leave, make sure Mrs. Everseen gets anything she or Katniss need." They had reached the front door. While they were walking, Thresh had sent a maid to fetch Peeta's woolen coat, gloves and hat. He also produced a lantern. 

"Would his Grace like me to come along and help in the search?" He asked.

"That will not be necessary... I want you to look after the other two ladies." He said while Thresh helped him into his coat and handed him his gloves, hat and light, one at a time. "If she comes back, send for me!" with that, he walked out of the door. 

Once outside, he wondered if he should go get a horse, deciding it was to cold for her to have ventured into the forrest. He decided to go around the perimeter of the house; if she was smart, she would stay close to a building that could provide her shelter. He had been walking around the grounds for about 20 minutes, when the boy Gabriel, caught up with him.

"Your Grace... My Lord!" He yelled, out of breath, cheeks flushed with exertion. Before Peeta could ask, Gabriel said, "Kitchens!... Thom... Stumbled upon her somewhere by the barn." The boy bent down and placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"How was she? Was she hurt?" He asked in a rush. The boy said breathless.

"She is fine, my Lord... She was, actually nursing the ugliest cat I have ever seen, back to health when I left the kitchen" he said with a faint smile. 

 

===========

 

_"I will go after her... Please tend to Katniss!"_

 

_"THRESH"_

 

She heard the Duke call out to one of his employees. She finally rushed to her eldest daughter, and sitting next to her on the floor gathered her into her embrace. She had been momentarily stunned hearing her younger girl's rage filled rant, she could not believe her ears, 'Where did sweet Prim learned such language?'. But right now, her eldest needed her most. The Duke would see to return Prim to her in due time, she was sure of it.

She started to rock back and forth with a despondent Katniss in her arms, she was singing a lullaby, so sweet, Katniss sobs subsided. After a long while, the man named Thresh, cleared his throat, to let her know he was there. She wonder how long had he been standing behind them? 

"Mrs. Everdeen, is there anything I can do for you, or offer you?" He asked softly.

"Can you help us to our feet?" She said motioning to both her and her daughter.

"My pleasure ma'am" He walked up to them, and with one arm around Katniss, he pulled her up, like she weighted nothing, then extended his outstretched hand for the older Everdeen to hold on to, and pulled up again. 

"Mmm... Will it be alright, if we take my daughter to...  Umm..." Mrs. Everdeen either did not know what to call it or just physically could not call it that, but Thresh understood, her request.

"Of course, madam. Should I carry the Lady to her chamber, or should we try to have her walk?" He asked soothingly.

"Let-Let us, see first, if she is up to supporting herself, if not, then you may carry her" Mrs Everdeen said so low it was almost a whisper.

Between the two, they tried to prop Katniss up. She noticed, and tried to help herself, they slowly made it to the staircase leading to the upper levels. The Master Chamber was in the second story, so they only had to go one floor up. She made it on her own, with the support of Thresh, while her Mother trailed behind them. When they reached the top of her floor she turn to Thresh and asked him. 

"Peeta?" Her voice was raw from crying. Thresh held back a grimaced. 

"He will be back soon, my Lady. He asked me to assist Mrs Everdeen in anything she needed" He said knowing she would be livid if he said it was _Her_ , he was supposed to look after. Katniss nodded. Then added.

"Could you please ask him to come straight to bed when he gets in?" Her mother made a face, but relaxed it right away. It was high time she stopped worrying about what Katniss did in _her_ chamber. Katniss added, "I do not feel so well."

Her mother soothed, "I know sweetheart. We will get you ready for bed, and when the Duke gets back you can go to sleep. How does that sound to you?"

"Yes... I want him to be home with me..." She started crying again so pitifully.

"Oh, there, there... There is nothing to cry about. Everything will be fine!"

"No... Everything will not be fine! Prim hates me, and she does not believe me, and neither do you." She cried bitterly. Thresh, opened the door to her and Peeta's chamber.

"Here we go, Ma-am!" He said walking Katniss inside. He then turned to see Mrs Everdeen lingering by the threshold. She stole herself and finally walked in, Thresh saw exactly were Katniss got her stoic stance from. He directed his question at her. "Ms Everdeen, would you require assistance from Leevy tonight?" He discreetly pointed his eyes toward Katniss, his question being if she needed assistance with Katniss.

"Yes, please! It would be wonderful if you send in the young maid to assist me. Thank you, Mr. Thresh?" She asked his name in no uncertain way. He nodded, his assent and excused himself to go fetch Leevy. 

After Leevy laid out a nightdress and turned down the bed, she opened the windows on the far side wall of the room. Mrs Everdeen, chided the maid, and demanded she closed them again. Katniss, quickly told the maid to leave them open, she explained,

"His Grace likes them open. He likes the chill. He will close them if I get too cold." 

Mrs. Everdeen relented, but not before having Leevy bring an extra quilt and a few fleece blankets. After Leevy was dismissed by Mrs Everdeen, she asked her child if she needed help out of her green gown, she was still wearing. She unbuttoned the dress for her, and hanged it aside, while Katniss put on her nightclothes. She found it odd, that her daughter had specially-made underwear for bed. It was baggier than regular undergarments, and the material was a very soft jersey fabric that felt barely there to the touch, when she asked her daughter about it, Katniss flushed furiously, and she answer with a question.

"Would you rather have me sleep with a sheer, almost-not-there night shirt with nothing underneath but my skin?" At her mother's frown, she added, "Thought so!"

her mother asked her to sit on her pouffe, so she could start undoing her hair and then brushing it out. She was slowly unraveling her daughter's long hair, when the girl broke the silence.

"It was his idea."

"Hmm?"

"The undergarments... They were his idea." she elaborated, her mother stopped her fiddling for a second to look at her through the mirror. "He... He, never said it out loud, but, he thinks that the more clothes between us, the better." She lowered her gaze, and felt her face warmed up.

Mrs. Everdeen went back her work silently. 

"It is a shame, that there are no more men with honorable values, like him anymore... He is a rarity... If it had to be somebody... I am glad it is him" Mrs Everdeen finished sadly.  

They stayed quiet the rest of the time, Mrs. Everdeen brushed Katniss' hair, and in the middle of braiding it, when there was a knock on the door, Katniss looked around to the foot of the bed, where her robe was laid on the bench at the end of the mattress, she quickly stood up, and hastily put the garment on, while saying,

"Enter!"

The door opened slowly, and he stepped into the chamber, Katniss made a hasty curtsy, and straighten her stance, eyes frantic and hands clasped nervously at the front. Her voice came out brokenly.

"My Lord?" It was more a plead than a greeting.

Peeta sighed, he really disliked seeing her so distraught. "My lady..." He said sweetly but tiredly. "I see you have gotten ready for bed... That is good!" He said with a ghost of a smile, he loved her in her pajamas. 

"I have, Sir." She said as if confirming what he could clearly see for himself. She hesitated before she asked, "Are-are you also getting ready for the night, my Lord?" Her eyes questioning, communicating the meaning behind her words: 'Did you find her?'.

He gave her a tight smile, "Alas, not just yet. But soon." he said, and shed off his dinning jacket, which he carelessly dropped on a nearby chair. He continued talking while unbuttoning his sleeves, and rolling them up to exposed his strong forearms. "I was informed that Miss Primrose is in the kitchens, tending to an injured kitten..." Both Everdeen women visibly relaxed at his words. "I was planing to go to her, and have a little chat, before I return her to her quarters." He said stiffly 

Both women tensed again, "That will not be necessary, my Lord, Mother and myself can go to her and do the talking... There is a lot to explain and I..."

"And you will go to bed, and rest. you will have all day tomorrow, to have a conversation with your sister." He said firmly, cutting her off. 

Her temper boiled over at that, "My Lord, that is unfair! Prim is my sister and she needs me to explain and apologize..." She was cut off by him again, his own temper short.

"Apologize? She was the one who spoke out of term... In anger! Insulting both you and Me! And since I became her benefactor the minute I bought the mortgage of her house from the bank, I think I deserve a little consideration from her!" He lashed out, "You had suffered enough humiliating comments tonight, my Lady, my decision is final, you will stay put until I return!" She bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering, the well of her eyes filling with tears. She knew he was serious, because he would never use either this tone nor his 'benefactor' position with her in other circumstances. 

She nodded in defeat. Mrs Everdeen decided to speak up. "Excuse me, my Lord, but, should not be better for me to come talk to my daughter? Would it not be wiser, given the circumstances?" She was hesitant, she knew the chances of him allowing this were slim.

"My esteem Ms. Everdeen, if it is the same to you, I would preferred it if you sat this one out, and tended to my beloved Katniss. But if you, still so please to see your child after our talk, then I will personally deliver her to you." He waited for the older woman to acquiesce, before adding, "And because I know you pretty well, I will have Leevy bring you a cup of tea sweetened with sleep syrup." He directed at Katniss.

Before she could protest, he told Mrs Everdeen, "I would highly appreciate it if you see to it, that she takes the medicine, and goes to sleep. She can be pretty stubborn" Mrs. Everdeen nodded, and Peeta left the room, leaving the women alone once more.

Katniss had her arms crossed over her chest, foot tapping, and head high in defiance, to a man that could not see her. "I am not taking it! If he thinks that he can forced me to take sleeping medicine, he has another thing coming!... Who does he think he is?" Her Mother just looked at her and rolled her eyes, 'She had to be joking!'. "He is not the boss of me, he can not... Boss me around! I am not his employee, I am Lady of Winter Home! He can not tell me when to go to sleep!" Mrs Everdeen let her continued her pointless rant, while pulling her down to sit at her vanity once again, so she could finish braiding her hair, that had already unraveled most of the way. 

"He thinks he is so high and might!... Mr Duke!" she mocked sarcastically moving her head comically, her mother sighed, _"I don't like self-righteous people!" She said,_

 _"What's to like?"_ Answered her mother, bringing the rant to an end.

They stayed in silence for a long while. After a few minutes, there was a soft knock announcing Katniss' sleep syrup laced tea, her mother sat it on the vanity, and ignored it for the time being... finally, Mrs Everdeen spoke again. 

"Katniss, sweetie... I need to apologize to you. To you and the Duke both. I have been running myself ragged, worrying about the  things that may happened between you two in this chamber. I did not think you were ready for intercourse, which is ludicrous, you are 18, legally old enough to decided for yourself and physically ready for intercourse." Her mother said contritely and uncomfortable. 'Not this conversation again!'. "I-I... I am sorry Katniss... I performed a quick medical exam on you, when you were bathing earlier." She said sheepishly. 'So, she was assessing me!' 

Katniss raised and eyebrow, before politely ask, "Found everything to your satisfaction? I get plenty of restful sleep, whole 8 hours of it, I have been eating a balanced meal, no missing any of them. Also the work in the farm, is good exercise. I am keeping fit! There was no need for a mystery pad-down, you know... You could have just... Asked" She said carelessly.

"Yes, well... I noticed you do look healthier and have filled up into a more... Feminine figure..." She trailed off, because, it was true, although she was so busy looking for other indicators, she barely took noticed of the positive changes in her appearance, product of a healthier diet, or of actually having a diet rather. She had been grossly underweight, with an underdeveloped boyish body, before she left the Capitol. She now possessed womanly curves that made her look more her age. "Sweetheart, I must confessed, I was making sure you were not with child already." Her face fell in shame, and Katniss turned her head to see her so fast, she caused her mother to pull her hair hard, because she was still holding her half finished braid.

"What? Why?... Never mind that... Mother, I am not with child, as I said, he has never touched me, and I know, he will never ask." She retorted irritably. 

"I just had been worried sick, about you, I needed to make sure you were in good health... and I guess I was also looking for evidence of any foul play on your Master's part." Mrs. Everdeen's eyes were sad.

"Mother... I am fine, I am treated right. The Duke, has been very good to me! You have to trust me on this." Katniss said earnestly.

"Yes, my dear, I can see that. You look healthy... And happy, which is more than I dared hope for." Mrs. Everdeen tied up the end of her daughter's freshly finished braid, and kneeled next to her, placing a tender hand over hers. "His Grace has been very gracious to us, very generous, and I know, you have said that he has been nothing but proper with you, but... I am not completely at ease, Katniss."

"Mother..." Katniss started to protest, but her mother cut her off.

"You are sharing his bed... Every night! And I know he is being honest when he assures that he will not take advantage of you, or abuse his rights to your body..."

"Mother... Please!" Katniss begged.

"He has legal rights, sweetheart. You are as good as his wife, except you do not have the rights a wife has. Why, he even treats you like a wife!" The older woman attested.

Katniss stood up from her pouffe so quick it made her dizzy for a second. "No, Mother, you are wrong... I am just his little friend helper," The longer this conversation stretches the more anxious Katniss feels, "He-he does not treat me like anything..."

"Katniss, how is it that you are so smart in every other situation, yet remain so obtuse when it comes to this?" Mrs Everdeen huffed exasperated, "The man can not keep his eyes away from you, nor his hands! and I know you do not see it for lack of attention, but because you choose not to, for you are pretty aware of his every whim, likes and dislikes... you even chided Lady Trincket during refreshments for offering to add sugar to the Duke's tea, because apparently he does never put sugar in his tea!" she exclaimed, standing up as well, "For the rest of the world, it is clear as day! He cares, very deeply for you child."

Katniss snorted disbelieving, but her mother continued, "And that is just him! Do not get me started on you!..."

"Oh, God! Just... No!" Katniss' hands flew up to cover her ears, she did not wanted to hear what her mother had to say about her behavior, for she suspected it would be accurate.

"Yes, child... You! You are so taken with him, you can not stop smiling. Every time he talks to you, you lean in closer to him. You can not say his name without sighing... You are infatuated with him!" She said matter-of-factly.

Katniss crossed her arms stubbornly, while tears started sliding down her cheeks. She wiped at them roughly, but did not contradict her mother. There was no point, if it was true.

"Katniss, I know Her Grace had her personal Doctor, give you a comprehensive medical exam before you came here. I know the Doctor provided you with medicine to prevent conception..."

"I do not need them! I already said, Peeta will not pursue... Physical relations." She interrupted, because, whilst her Mother was being more professional than motherly right this second, this particular topic, made Katniss feel incredibly mortified and uncomfortable.

"And I believe him!" Mrs Everdeen said seriously, "He wholeheartedly intents on keep you a virgin, for whatever altruistic reasons. But, dear..." She stood closer to her child, and took her face in both her hands, " _You_ have not made such promise. He is a very handsome man, and you are a very beautiful young woman... In very intimate situations, I would be surprise if you could resist it for a lot longer"

"Mother! Women, do not get such urges!" Katniss choked perplexed at her mother's boldness.

"Oh, pish-pash... That is just an absurd myth! women do feel the same sexual urges men do. You of all people, should know better than to say women are different!" She said with a dismissive hand wave. "Someday, you will feel strange stirrings deep in your belly... the flutterings will become increasingly difficult to ignore... they will become a hunger... And I suggest you be prepare, because you will not know how to fend the hunger off, and at the end you will not want to fend it off." Her tone was calmed, clinical, but Katniss listened with rapt attention.

"See, my sweet girl," She caressed her daughter's hair. "It is not him keeping his word, I am worried about. It is you giving into curiosity, into your own feelings... Hormones... You are 18, sweetheart," Her tone soothing, back to maternal. "You sleep next to a beautiful man that treats you like a queen, despite the fact that he wants to respect you and keep things chaste... I just want you to be aware, and prepared... Promise your old mother, you will be careful!" Her voice and eyes had soften, and new tears trailed down the younger woman's cheeks.

"I will not give into temptation, I will fight any urges! I promise..." She whimpered, "I do not want to disappoint you!"

"Oh, baby, never... I could never be disappointed in you." She soothed, and wiped her child's tears away.

"He is married!" Sobs and more tears, "To another woman!" crying harder now, "I am so confused, and frustrated, and sad... I do not even know what I want, and I am so scared I will make a mistake, and let you and Prim down... And Prim is so angry at me right now, she called me a...a..." She was desperate for air now.

"I know what she called you, sweetie, and she was wrong to call you that. I will have a talk with her and we will get everything sorted out. Do not worry about that." She held her eldest daughter tightly in her arms.

"I am sorry I got myself into this mess!" She cried softly into her mothers shoulder.

"Oh, Katniss... It is not your fault, it is mine... I should had been a better mother and provider for you girls, I should had been there for you two, and I was not... I left you to fend for yourself, and to support our family. And, I wish you had not had been in a situation where you signed that contract, but I respect you for it. It took a lot of courage... And I am glad that of all men, it is someone as honorable as the Duke. I know, he will do everything in his power to protect you."

"So... You are not going to tell me to, stay away from him? You are not going to lecture me about the dangers of being a married man's mistress?" Katniss pulled away from her mother's embrace to seek her eyes. Mrs. Everdeen, smiled sadly, regret clear in her blue eyes, and cupped her daughter's cheek in her hand lovingly.

"I will not... I lost that right when I abandoned you girls. I voided my motherly privileges, when you had to take charged of our household; second, you are not a common mistress, you are legally required to be with him, no matter what His Grace says... You are lucky; Most concubines do not get men like him as their master."

Katniss laughed through her tears, "I guess Fortuna kisses girls as well as bold daring men!" Her Mother gave her a confused look,"I will need to remember that, and tell Peeta all about it..."

She elaborated at her mother's questioning look. "His men are a bit superstitious, and somehow think, that if the Goddess Fortuna kisses them, they will have good luck" Both women snorted at the notion, neither had much trust in luck.

"So... You do call him by a nickname" It was not a question. Katniss smiled,

"Only when we are alone... but, sometimes I forget myself in public..." She said sheepishly. 

"It's... Sweet..." Her mother reluctantly offered. "Now, please... Take a sip of your tea... We can not have you disobey a direct order..." She said in a mocking tone, pointing at the forgotten cup of tea on the vanity top. Katniss made a face, but took the cup and saucer from the table and took a tiny sip where she stood. 

Her mother, made her get in bed, claiming the syrup would come into effect fairly soon, she kept on sipping on it, when a knock, she recognized as Peeta, sounded on the door. She straighten in a sitting position, in the middle of the bed, and said,

"Come in!"

Instead of Peeta, a contritely looking Prim stepped into the room, she unintentionally looked around the room in awe, suddenly frowning and pursing her lips, but she quickly schooled her features, and raised her hand half way to her shoulder level, and wiggled her fingers in greeting. She had an apologetic half smile on her face, when she spoke,

"Hi..." She said softly.

"Primrose..." Her mother answered sternly. Katniss said nothing.

"I... umm... I am sorry I behaved so badly. It was uncalled for, disrespectful and mean." She said looking first at her mother, and then finding her sister's eyes. "I am sorry I said all those awful things about you, Katniss... I-I was angry, and hurt, and I could not believe you had to steep so low for our survival... I was wrong to judge you, without giving you a chance to explain, or hear your case. You are... An amazing sister" a single tear escape Katniss' eye, and Prim had to look away, because her eyes were welling up as well, "I am... Honored to ..."

"Shut up, Little Duck! And come give me a hug!" Katniss broke with a cracking voice.

Prim did not need more prompting, in a second, she had climbed the spacious bed and was hugging her sister fiercely. Mrs Everdeen stood silently crying to one side, she felt Peeta's presence next to her, and turned around to faced him. 

"Thank you!" Was all she could manage. Before calling out to her youngest child. 

"Primrose, it is late, and your sister has taken half a cup of tea with sleep syrup in it, we should allow her to go to sleep, and do so ourselves. We will see each other in the morrow!" With that, she walked up to the bed, and kissed her oldest girl on the top of her head, and holding her youngest's hand, pulled her upright. When she passed Peeta, she curtsy, and bid him a good night, walking out of the room. Prim lingered for a moment, getting closer to Peeta she whispered, "Remember! Keep it in your pants..." she flicked her eyes downwards and back to his face, making him extremely uncomfortable, then her eyes flicked around the room, "Nice chamber! Keep it chaste, she is drugged up, sleep syrup hinders inhibitions, she will agree to do whatever, if you ask... Please... Do not ask" With a last pleading look, she stepped out of the room.

Katniss eyes are starting to get cloudy with sleep syrup, but she still saw her sister approach him, and saw him stiffen at whatever it was she told him.

She was suddenly and unreasonably rage-ful, she tried to get out of bed, but her legs weren't cooperating, so she sort of yelled, mostly cried. Uncomprehendingly for a moment, he was very concern with her reaction, because he had no idea what caused it, or how to fix it, he crawled through the bed toward her, and she pathetically tried to slap him, he grabbed her hand, and twisted it behind her back, so she tried the other hand, achieving the same result. She was breathing heavily, her eyes were flaming and full of tears, with every breathed she took her chest bumped into his, her nipples started to harden and he noticed, even under all the extra layers of 'prevention'. He was getting hard and fast.

All the while she had kept on babbling non stop, until his brain caught and understood two words: 'Cheating' and 'Sister'... He did not need to go far to understand the origin of her rage, her eyes were defeated, sad and tired... He absolutely hated it. 

She started to openly cry, and he slipped under the covers to gathered her to him, he started to rub her back soothingly, talking softly into her ear, telling her he was not interested in Prim at all, he was not going to cheat on her (although, there was no relationship between them, to warrant the term cheating)

He could feel the fight leaving her body, she was getting heavier in his arms. In a moment of lucidity in her words, right before the syrup took her under, she garbled groggily, "Why don't you love me? I would do anything for you... I would give up anything you want... Please, don't leave me... Please..." she looked up at him, her eyes drooping, tears falling freely, "Choose me..." She begged softly,

He brought his lips to her hair line, " _Always_ " but her eyes had already closed. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny excerpts from Catching Fire and Movkingjay in Italics, by Suzanne Collins. 
> 
> I hope my Prim was ok... I won't lie, I'm super nervous to hear your thoughts about her... Sorry if I disappointed anyone, specially with Thom being the one who found her, and how that scene progressed... I am literally biting my nails! 
> 
> A friendly heads up to my dear readers, I'm not sure when my next chapter will find it's way up here, one of my best friends is coming from out of town, with her 1 year old baby, who I'm about to meet for the first time, and I'm going into "crazy-fake-aunt" mode. Plus the released of Mockingjay part 1 and the Holidays coming up, it's going to be crazy... But rest assure, I am diligently working on this story, and I can offer you, that Katniss will meet some of the gang and Buttercup in the next chapter :) 
> 
> Happy Hunger Games y'all!!!


	9. A Day in Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, of the Hunger Games series. 
> 
> A shout out to abk1973, thank you for letting me borrow your character, I had to adjust age for story telling purposes. Hope you like it!
> 
> Enjoy, review, bookmark!

There was a sensation, that mimicked the motion of the ups and downs of soft waves at sea, under her. She was laying face down on a surface that was firm, but very comfortable. It was cozy there, warm and familiar, and it completely enveloped her, like a cocoon. 'I _t smells like home in here, too_ '. Her nose involuntarily nuzzled the soft fabric that covered whatever it was she was laying on, she wished she hadn't, for she thoroughly disturbed an otherwise blissful experience.

Her surface, suddenly rose up a few inches, falling down quickly, after holding it's position for a whole 2 seconds. She opened her eyes slowly, just to find her bearings, and at that moment a few things happened at once: the first being, something strong and unyielding tightened around her; the whole surface she had been laying on, shifted, so now she was on her side, instead of on her stomach. Her open palms now, detected tiny, but steady soothing movements under the surface, where her hands had been resting, like a drum beat. And in a second, she is aware, her comfortable surface, is actually a person.

The person yawned, lazily stretching, causing her to suffocate a little when she felt the strong arms tighten even more around her, crushing against the male chest she woke up over. She must still be under the effects of the sleep syrup, because she does not feel scared nor alarmed by any of this occurrences. As a matter of fact, she felt quit comfortable.

"You are awake..." Came the scratchy low voice she recognized as her Master's. It always amazed her, how his voice could sound an octave lower when he was in the process of waking up. Instead of answering his question, she stretched up, to reach the crook of his neck, and nuzzled it. She was not ready to leave the warmth of their bed.

It occurred to him, that she might still been under syrup influence, to be acting so cuddly, but he was not complaining about, and he was certainly not going to call attention to it!

"Can we go back to sleep?" She asked with a yawn. "I need this a little longer." She nuzzled her cheek deeper into his clavicle. He was not sure of what she was referring to when she said 's _he needed that a little longer_ ', but, he was going to give it to her, by staying perfectly still, for as long as he possibly could delay the start of their busy day. They both had full schedules to adhere to.

Her hands softly started to grasped fistfuls of the fabric of his shirt, between his shoulder and chest. He thought it might be and involuntary reaction, but her next words, told him otherwise.

"How is it, that your scent gives me so much comfort?" She kissed his neck, then added, "I love your stubble" Her index finger dragging over his stubbled jaw. "I wish... We could sleep like this..." Her speech was groggy, her eyes were closed, and he expected, her mind was a little cloudy, but her sentiment was honest. He hugged her tighter, he kissed whatever skin on her face he could reach on this position. And he felt his heart shattered into a million pieces for the second time in less than 8 hours. She was in love with him, whether she realized it or not... She loved him as much as he loved her, and the knowledge, was tearing him apart on the inside.

"Go back to sleep, sweetie. We still have about an hour..." He whispered against her temple.

"Alright..." She was almost asleep again, he could tell. "Just... Do not leave while am asleep, alright?"

"I will be right here when you wake up. I promise. I am not going anywhere." He assured her softly.

"Good!" She breathed out. And yawned. She was under again. He let the tears in his eyes fall freely.

 

================

 

Prim felt absolutely miserable. She had only slept for about 3 hours. After two (technically three) lectures the night before, she was mercifully sent to bed, where she tossed and turned for only God knows how long, to then fall into fitful sleep. She had mentally prepared and rehearse, speeches for each and every party she had offended the night before.

The first apology she delivered, was to her mother. It went alright, a little more stiffly than she expected from her mother's part, but not awful at all. The second was to her sister; that one did not go so smoothly. Since Katniss had a whole night sleep, she had manage to separate herself from the whole affair the preview evening, and although she was still deeply hurt, she was also angry... Of course, her big sister being angry at her was not the same as her big sister being angry at any other person. They had a very long chat, were both teens yelled, and cried, then laughed, then cried some more, to at the end, made up with a hug and a kiss; good as new.

She, then proceeded to apologize to the Duke, this one was shorter, but not less awkward than the one with her sister. She had a lot to think, while tossing and turning in bed, and she reached the conclusion, that the Duke was now part of her life, whether she liked it or not, as long as he and her sister were starring in this 'Star-Crossed Lovers' romance, he would be a fixture in their small little family, and she decided to give him a real chance... Who knew?... Maybe it would actually be good, having a male figure watching out for them, after all.

This brought her, to her current audience... The Help! To say Breakfast that morning had been a very intimidating meal, was an understatement. She barely ate a morsel, she was so worried someone would have added some extra 'seasoning' to her eggs, plus the anticipation to address a whole bunch of people bigger and stronger than her, knowing she had wronged one of their own, even though it was her own sister with whom Their relationship was already back in track, was daunting.

"Miss Everdeen! A pleasure to see you again!" Thom greeted with his never failing soft smile.

"Likewise, Mr Thom." She responded with a polite nod of the head. "I... Umm, would like to, thank you for... Last night..." This was incredibly awkward. "You-you brought me to a 'figurative' good place, to work my frustration, and showed me that I was operating under an askew perception of an uncomfortable situation, thus allowing me and my family come to a healthier understanding of each other... I am most grateful for all you did for me... Us... Last night!" She said all in basically one breath, he just observed her talk until she was done, a hint of a smile never leaving his features. She paused, and braced herself for the next part of her 'Thom speech', "That said, I also would like to apologize for my erratic behavior, and my very un-lady-like language and demeanor. It was inappropriate, and I insulted your masters, which was just wrong of me, I am a guest in this house, and do owe His Grace a great deal of respect. I hope, you can forgive me, for acting so badly, and for speaking out of term." When she finished, her lips pursed and she lowered her head in show of repentance. For the first time, Thom's smile wavered. This little porcelain princess, who was the picture of poised and perfection, could in no way be the same hell raiser from merely 12 hours ago.

"Ma'am, all is forgotten, water under a bridge, if you may! It was my pleasure to bump into you last night... I guess the Goddess saw fit to orchestrate our meeting in the dark... granting Little Kitty, the good luck of being in the wrong place at the right time? Just know, that I will always be there to find you, even in the middle of the darkest night, to bring you back to where is bright and warm." He bowed to her. And although she thought his response was loaded, and a little cheesy, she had to admit it was sweet. She gave him a half smile, and a full curtsy... Just for the heck of it.

"His Grace, has asked me to gather all the house, so you may addressed them, before your trip into Town. I expect, they would all be assembled in the kitchens, waiting for us by now." He said a little awkwardly, "So, if you are ready, let us go to them, so we can all go back to our scheduled obligations this day. " he saw Prim break her perfect proper-lady expression for a second, before composing herself, she stood straighter and holding her head high, asked him to lead the way, which he promptly did.

Once again, Thom was right. The Kitchen was full to capacity with both men and women, that clearly had halted their chores to sit there and listen to her, and were eager to go back to work. So, she decided to respect their time, and be quick about it.

"Very good morning to you all. I appreciate you gathering here and allowing me to address you for a few moments. I know that you are busy people, and I promise I will not waste to much of your time this morning." She swallowed, "Many of you were present last night, during a most inappropriate, undignified and plainly disrespectful tirade, most embarrassingly curtesy of yours truly." She let her eyes fall to the ground while she took a deep breath, "I know, I insulted both His Grace, the Duke, and His Lady Katniss, for what I am terribly sorry and ashamed. I have apologized to them both profusely, and they have both granted me a second chance, for which I am most grateful. I understand, I was wrong in judging people, specially the Masters of Winter Home, and I apologize to you for it. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive a silly, misguided child." She chanced a look at all the people there, most of them where expressionless at best. It was time to wrap it up. "Thank you for helping me see reason. I am grateful, my dear sister has found such gracious friends in you all." She looked at Thom, who was standing by one of the open windows, this spurred him into action.

He stood in front of the crowd and talked on their behalf, "Thank you Miss Everdeen for your effusive words. We understand, and accept your apologies. We also like to extend our gratitude for taking the time to address this issue. We hope you and your Mother can enjoy a nice time in our Home in the company of our Masters." He then turned to face his fellow workers, "If there is no other person who like to speak, then we will be dismissed, so we can return to our regular activities".

There was a moment of silence, then Old Sae stood up, and hugged the maid tightly and thanked her for being brave, releasing her, she called her team of cooks to start washing the breakfast dishes to then start working on lunch. The rest of the Help went back to their various chores, leaving Prim in Thom's company once more.

"Let me escort you back to your family, Miss Everdeen." He said in a pleasant tone. She smiled, a full smiled directly at him, for the first time, and he answered in kindly with his own.

When they entered the empty hall leading them back to the drawing room where the rest of her party was waiting, she asked, "So, you seriously think it was luck who brought us to the doors of that barn at the same time, last night?" She was looking straight ahead, he studied her features. Her lips where clearly fighting a smirk from forming.

"I wholeheartedly believe it ma'am!" He said with his trademark easy smile, that she knew was there even if she was not looking at him.

"Of course you do!" She smiled this time, but did not elaborate. "How is your little fellow?" She asked, and this time she gave him a glance.

"Kitty is doing wonderfully! Thanks to you my lady! You are an amazing Doctor!" He gushed.

She shook her head, and said seriously, "I am not. Although it is my hope I could be a good nurse someday!"

He nodded. "I am sure you will be, Miss Everdeen."

"Thank you, Mr Thom!" She responded gratefully. A moment of silence passed between the two, and right before they reached the archway to enter the drawing room, she asked him one last question, "Mr Thom, would you be so kind to let me come visit my patient sometime? I dare say, I would love to see how he is fearing!" She was not smiling, but her features where soft and content. Thom agreed at once.

"Of course, Miss Everdeen! I am sure Kitty will be happy to see you as well! Why I can bring him over this evening if you like to assist me in changing his bandages?"

Her whole face lighted up. "Oh! Would you do that? That would be fantastic! I would love that!" She smiled brightly at him.

"Then, we have an appointment to see you later Dr Everdeen!" He nodded, and turn on his heel to go back to the kitchens and out onto the grounds.

"See you later Thom!" She exclaimed when he was a few paces away, he turned around to see her smile at him once, before stepping into the next room to meet her family.

 

===============

 

"... Also, while we are here in Town, I have arranged for you to meet with the caterers to hire extra servers as you asked, Lady Katniss. A Mrs, Rooba, will be there to meet with you at 1 o'clock. And, this brings the topic of afternoon refreshments, would you like to return to Winter Home for it, or should we just give noticed to the local inn that we will be coming in for tea or coffee this afternoon?" Lady Trinket, had been reading everybody's schedules out of her little brown leather bound organizer, since they left the house 15 minutes prior. It was a bumpy carriage ride, and Katniss really wondered how did Lady Trinket could read at all without getting a migraine. She gave a look at Prim and her mother, and rolled her eyes, causing Prim to giggle softly.

"What would you recommend we do, my Lady?" She asked simply, for it seem silly to her, that everything else was penciled in and she was just asking this to pretended, Katniss had any say on her day's errands.

"Well... If you really are requesting my humble opinion..." Lady Trinket smugly preened, "I believe, my Lady should be by His Grace's side, to greet his most expected guests, the Baron and Baroness of Quattro, who are set to arrive around 4:00 this afternoon. With this in mind, I think it would be wise, to return to the Manor for Tea, so you do not have to rush there later on." Lady Trinket, just closed her organizer and sat it on her lap, looking at Katniss expectantly.

Katniss new how important, the Baron and his wife were for Peeta, he had said more than once, that he considered them, some of his best friends. The prospect of meeting Peeta's friends made her anxious and insecure, but he had gone above and beyond to welcome her family, when he had no need to, and after the way he handled the whole Primrose incident, she knew, she owed him. She was going to be the most perfect little Concubine any nobleman could wish for... She was going to make him proud!

"Very astute observation, my Lady. We shall return to Winter Home after my business is done, with this Mrs Rooba!, I agree in that I should be there to personally welcome His Grace's special guests. Thank you for your sound advice!"

"Always here to serve, my Lady!" Effie replied proud of herself. "Oh! We are here!" She exclaimed happily. "How exciting, Miss Everdeen!... Oh, to be young and beautiful as you, and go getting new outfits, hair ribbons and such!" She drawled dreamily, grasping Prim's hand and giving her a squeeze.

"Yes, Lady Trinket, very exciting!" She returned with a bright smile to the older lady. "I am very thankful, although I must point out, that I am reluctantly accepting this gift." She said stiffly, and immediately sending an apologetic gaze at her sister.

"Well, I for once, am very grateful for the generosity of our benefactor, the Duke. He certainly has done for us more than we ever expected." Mrs Everdeen interjected, before either of her girls could mess up another good day.

"It is not charity, if that is what you are worried about..." Katniss trailed off, "I have worked hard this past few months, and this is 'a show of gratitude for all the little and big things I do around here' from His Grace... He said, that it is my coin, and I should spend it as I see fit! And I see fit to clothe you properly."

"I know, Katniss." Prim said softly and sweetly to her sister, "And, I am grateful for it. More than you think." She gave her sister a warm hug, and then followed Lady Trinket and Mrs Everdeen out of the carriage.

 

=============

 

The doors to the shop opened wide as soon as Mrs Portia spied them descending their coach. She was a beautiful woman, very tall, with warm brown eyes, and skin the color of cinnamon, her hair was gathered at top of her head in an elaborate bun, her clothing was made from an exquisite dark grey fabric. But her most striking feature, was her wide smile, showing a line of perfectly straight white teeth, and plump lips.

"Welcome ladies! Please come right in, and let me take your coats and hats!" Her voice was not very loud, but carried.

"Oh, my dear Ms. Portia! How nice to see you!" Said Effie, making a bow to the other woman. "Let me introduce you to Lady Katniss's family, Mrs and Miss Everdeen!" Both Everdeens curtsy in turn.

Portia curtsy in return, "It is my pleasure to meet you both, ladies! My name is Portia, and I am the main seamstress for the Duke's household, while here in Merch..." After giving them an appraising look, she declared "You are both as beautiful as Winter Home's Lady!"

Then turning to Katniss, she opened both her arms to embraced the maid, "My Lady Katniss! You never cease to amaze me with your poise! But I see you must have inherited from your Mother! You truly are going to be a joy to work with!" She started collecting coats, scarves, gloves, and hats from the women, and hanging them in a nearby closet.

"Please, follow me to the parlor, and take a seat! Make yourselves at home, while I call for my husband, Mr. Cinna!" The women filed up behind her, into the quaint little store parlor. This was what in the Capitol was considered a very small boutique, it was tasteful and colorfully decorated, there were many sketches of dresses and other clothing framed on the walls, it was like being in a walk-in catalogue. Everything was beautiful in here.

Soon, Ms. Portia was back, by the arm of an equally tall and handsome gentleman. He had a very soft smile, that would put at ease any person who got the pleasure to meet him. He was dressed all in black, his suit was simple, with just the right amount of gold accents, it look very sophisticated. He greeted all the women warmly, as they were introduced to him, or in the case of a Katniss and Effie, as he said hello to them.

Portia, offered her costumers some refreshments, before continuing, "I will be helping young Miss Everdeen with the measurements and design of her new wardrobe, but more presently, I will be helping her choose one of our existing gowns for the upcoming Yule Festival, normally, we would custom make a gown for such an occasion, but due to time restrictions, we will have to look through our dresses, and see if something catches your eye, and then begin alterations right away. Does that sound good to you ma'am?" She directed at Prim.

"Yes! Thank you very much, Ms Portia. I can not wait, to see what can you offer!" Said Prim pleased.

"Very well, now, while the ladies and I work on Miss Everdeen, Lady Katniss will follow Mr Cinna, into the adjacent measuring room, and work on a few items, His Grace has request. Now Ladies, if you please, follow us, to our assigned rooms, we can get to work!" Portia finished with her warm winning smile.

Katniss followed Cinna into a cozy room, the decorations where more masculine than the rest of the shop, but she reasoned, it was a man's working area, so of course it was going to tend to be manlier.  Cinna was the only tailor in Merch, his work was so extraordinary, that he was seek by the wealthiest close and far. There were other seamstresses in town, but none had Portia's eye for fashion, so, it was no wonder they had the most sought-out clothier shop in Merch.

Cinna, had a knack for perception, he could read people's moods even before they spoke, and it was not different with Katniss. He was also very wise, and his voice was always so soothing, it seem like he could do no wrong when addressing people. 

Cinna gave her a reassuring smile, before diving into conversation. "So, my Lady, I assumed you were informed by His Grace, about the nature of the pieces I have created for you..." He paused to allowed her to formulate her response.

"I, um, yes... His Grace said he commissioned hunting wear. I was not aware you had already started working on it, I thought you were measuring me today?" It was more a hesitant question, than a statement.

"Oh, I already have your measurements from previews work Portia and myself had done for you. And because the pieces are to fit a little loosely on you, there was no real need to remeasure." He smiled softly at her, but she was still a little apprehensive about the whole thing. He finally addressed her hesitancy.

"I can see something is not completely of your liking, my lady. Can I inquire what, or why?" He fixed her with his brown eyes, not in a threatening way, but in a way that communicated, she was to spill all the beans; so she did.

She had grown to trust Cinna, like no body else, she had confided in him many of her fears, likes and dislikes. He was well versed on her anxiety by now. So, she went into minute detail of the events the previews night, how everything sparked from the announcement that she was to be fitted for trousers, Lady Trinket and her Mother's outbursts, Peeta's angry response, and the the whole Prim fiasco. She was drained by the time she was done. Then as an afterthought she added, 

"I think I accused the Duke, of trying to romancing my sister, while my brain was muddled with the effects of sleep syrup... Then I had this most embarrassing dream that I had slept in his embraced in a very compromising position all through out the night..." Her cheeks were the color of ripe cherries. "I... Am sorry. I did not mean to say all that... God! As if this is not mortifying enough!" She despaired frustrated.

"Katniss..." Cinna started soothingly, "I have told you numerous times, that I am your friend, and you can tell me anything! I will never betray your confidence, I would not even share it with my beloved Portia if you so desire." He smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, before adding. "I was 18 years old once many moons ago, my dear! I understand feeling insecure, or embarrassed, there is nothing wrong with it." He patted her cheek fondly, and then gestured for her to sit on a comfy couch.

"I take it, his Grace was not persuaded to cancel his order?" he asked amused. Katniss only shook her head no.

"That is well! It would be a shame to have my innovating work of art to go to waste... I believe it is my best piece yet! _I do not think that somebody as selfless and brave as you are, should be dressed in some silly costume now, would you_?" They both smiled at each other.

" _Are you ready to work,_ my Lady?" He asks pleasantly. 

"I am!" She answered returning a smile.

Cinna brings her behind a paneled screen, so she could remove her dress and change into a soft satin robe. She handed him her dress, which he se aside on a hanger, to keep it from wrinkling. Then he passed her a couple of hangers, some were button down shirts, with a turtle-neck collar, and puffed up long sleeves. The edges of the collar and fists were finished with a pretty lace that matched the beige and white colors of the shirts. The other items, were two pairs of sturdy twill trousers, but this ones were very different that those used by men. This pants were so ample that they could pass for simple skirts. the waist were high, about 5 to 8 inches wide; they zipped up on the side, instead of the front, and were embellished by four big decorative buttons on the front, two on each side. One pair was brown, the other was dark olive with tiny  navy blue stripes. Both garments have pockets, which she liked, as dresses usually lack pockets, she thinks they are as much a novelty as they are useful. 

She tried on her new hunting attire, and stepped out from behind the screen, to model Cinna's creation. He studies his work,  straightening invisible wrinkles here and there, he brings a pair of scissors forward, to rid the clothes from overly long threads. He tilts his head, admiring his finished product, and smiles satisfied. 

"Allow me to show you, your reflection in my mirror, my Lady. You look absolutely ready to go foraging in an elegant sort of way!" He placed a hand on her lower back to guide her towards the full body mirror at the other side if the room. 

"Cinna...!" She gasped, sliding a hand softly down her clothing in awe. "You were not kidding, sir! This is absolutely perfect for hunting, yet very stylish," she says admiring herself, turning this way and that, "You have outdone yourself!" She finally looked at him and smiled broadly.

"Do you think his Grace would approve?" Cinna asked with a knowing smirk.

"Mr Cinna, his Grace will be floored! This is just amazing! You have accomplished something very interesting, and I am honor to be the one to showcase your marvelous work! Thank you for creating this for me!" She truly means every word.  

"Good! You are my muse, just as much as you are his!" He says almost offhandedly, but she blushes, 'Did he mean she was Peeta's muse as well, or that she literally belonged to him?'. She did not have time to simmer in this thoughts, for he shooed her back behind the screen, to try on the other set of clothing, which was more a formality, as all pieces were exactly the same size an style, just different color. 

When they got done with her, he packed up her new outfits in garment bags, while she redressed in the gown she had donned for the town visit. After she was back from behind the screen, he offered her his arm, with a winning smile; he was satisfied with his work, and she could see pride in his happy features.

They joined the other women, in Portia's section. They too, had been working hard. Prim had been trying pretty dress, after beautiful dress, after stunning dress, until they finally settled on a ridiculously gorgeous pale blue gown, that made her eyes pop prettily. They were in the middle of taking her measurements needed for the alterations for the gown to be Prim ready for the Festival.

Portia, being the great multitasker that she was, had bombarded her with questions about what she was looking for on a new wardrobe, everything from color palette, to fabric types, to her daily life activities and the versatility she would need her new clothes to have, she had scribbled ideas as she was going, and by time Katniss and Cinna had joined them, Portia had a few sketches of pieces for "Prim's Collection" as Portia had started calling it, earning herself a few giggles and squeaks from Prim. It had been a quite enjoyable experience for all the parties involved.

At 11:00, Cinna, announced that the carriage was ready to take them to their next destination... Peeta had said he had a surprised for all the women. After hugging, thanking and telling the couple they would see each other during the Yule Festival celebrations, Katniss asked Cinna if he knew what the surprise was, he just gave her a mischievous smile, patting the coach's side, to signaled they were all loaded and ready to go. Katniss just had time, to wave a final goodbye, before they were carted to a beautiful chateau style manor.

Effie gasped, and she saw her scoot to the edge of the bench, with a hand pressed on the window, and another covering her mouth, it looked like she was about to burst out in tears. Although the place was a beautiful three story house, with manicured lawns, filled with seasonal plants and flowers, creating a perfect winter garden, she had no idea, why being in this place would elicit such a response from her escort...  

"Baker's Place!" Effie whispered, but the name still registered no hidden meaning, as to what this place was.

Katniss saw an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise up ahead by the path to the entrance. There were two familiar looking horses, looking on at the incoming coach with not an ounce of interest. Two men virtually materialized from behind their rides, and the excited lurch Katniss' heart gave as soon as she spotted the blond haired, broad shouldered man, was anything but platonic, and she knew it! 'She was in so much trouble, it was painful'. 

The coach finally came to a stop in front of the men, and Peeta leaped to yank the little door open, so the ladies could descend. He held his hand out to each woman in turn, Katniss had stay last, but when their hands connected, it was like the sun turned up a notch in brightness; Peeta grinned at her, and her heart quivered deep inside her chest, 'she was not going to retrieve her hand from his grasp anytime soon!... At least not without prompting'.

"Welcome to Baker's Place, my Lady. Home of my Forefathers, and Official Home for the Duchy of Merch." He said with a flourished, and a deep exaggerated bow. She giggled, and rewarded him with and equally silly gesture, and very low curtsy and a kiss on his knuckles.

"My Lord! How is it that you can have such beautiful home, and keep it a secret?" She said, equal parts: amused, awed, and curious.

"It is a very long story, madam, and I intend on sharing it with you, down to the last juiciest tidbit of information, but for now, let us go to the back terrace, so we can feast on the delectable picnic Mrs Sae and her team has put together for us." He said regarding all 4 women, before leaning in closer to his Concubine, to whisper conspiratorially "Plus, we need to introduce your family to the Earl, before he does or says something uncivilized and comes to blows with dear Effie." She laughed melodically, and his hands and lips itched to connect with her skin. 

They approached their party, Lady Trinket was still trying to hold back tears, while saying her greetings to Lord Abernathy, who in return was trying to be understanding and caring in his own Haymitch way, by making a self deprecating joke, that almost worked, as Effie gave a weak smile. Katniss greeted Haymitch with a curtsy, that he tried to dissuade her from doing; he really hated all the stiffness of propriety and etiquette.

But, it was not, until he turned to regard Mrs Everdeen and Primrose that he was left totally mute for a whole 5 seconds, before he could properly respond, and his reaction puzzled both Katniss and Peeta, the latter gave a quizzical look between Haymitch and Prim, they were both regarding each other with different expressions, but equally curious of the other: while Prim seemed a little star-strucked, Haymitch looked like his jaw was fighting between slaking and setting, eyes roaming the teenager's face desperately, he saw his mentor's lips form a word, but he thought, 'he must have understood wrong, for there was no reason in hell, why Haymitch would summon Margaret's name at the moment, he did not know how to read lips, and he just saw what he wanted to see, except, he did not want to see Margaret, he wanted Katniss!'

Katniss' light touch on his arm, was what broke him out of his reverie, and he promptly introduced the Everdeen's properly to the Earl, who waved any use of formality, especially with the young maid. Peeta saw, as a questioning glance passed between Effie and Haymitch, and quickly turned into an understanding one. Peeta did not have time to puzzled about it for long, for Effie looked expectantly at him next, asking for an explanation without uttering word.

"My Lady Trinket, I hope you like what I have been doing, sprucing the place up a little. Actually, I wanted to have you all take a walk with me, after our meal. I have a proposition for Mrs and Miss Everdeen, and I also seek approval from both you and my Lord Abernathy, in a matter of outmost importance to me" he said to Effie, glancing at the Everdeen women, when he mentioned their names. Prim was looking at him skeptically, but he would address her after lunch, which was served on the patio tables, waiting for them to sit down to it.

"Please my ladies, my lord, let us take a seat and dig in!" They all did without much opposition.

Katniss still holding on to Peeta's arm, had to let go, while he pulled out a chair for her sit down. He sat right next to her at the head of the rectangular table. The meal passed pleasantly, there was light chatter, and the spread of cold cuts, cheeses, different types of bread, dried fruit, and cold drinks, was delectable. Even the weather was agreeable. Peeta noticed, how the Earl glanced in Prim's direction every now and then, like he was trying to discover the missing piece to a puzzle, it was so strange, he would have to remember to inquire about the meaning of this odd behavior.

After they were all full to their hearts content, Peeta stood up, and politely asked the rest of his party, to join him for a little tour of Baker's Place. He explained to everyone, how he had been, renovating the manor for the past year, he had modernized the whole place, he had tear down and rebuilt   parts of the house, making it look so very different than what Heymitch and Effie remembered, he had even added a lift to the upper floors.

After his lengthily exposition of the work done on the house, he asked the two people, who were the closest thing to parents He had, what their opinion was. Effie was teary eyed, but she gave him a hug and said the house looked lovely. Haymitch, said nothing at first, then he asked if the new addition of the elevator, was expensive, when he was satisfied with Peeta's budget report, he nodded, and grunted his approval. 

Peeta, then started to get fidgety. Katniss held his arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. His eyes met hers, and smiled shyly at her. But the gesture was enough to prompt him to talk again.

"Well, as I said, when you ladies first arrived; I have a proposition for Mrs and Miss Everdeen." Prim's whole demeanor perked up at this, she had been feeling lethargic, with sleep deprivation, but she was alert now. Mrs Everdeen just plainly looked like she was trying to keep her curiosity hidden and failing miserably, and Katniss had just been staring at him openly, expectantly; knowing him, she was sure, it would be something very generous, beneficial for her family. ' _God, can this man be more predictable?'_.

Peeta started to tell them about his plans, "Last year, I visited Quattro during a summer holiday. It was very pleasant, but I had the opportunity to watch the Baron do charity work to better his community, and that made me wish I could help somehow... Then it dawned on me, I am a very wealthy Duke, so why not use my wealth to better my District?" He said excitedly.

"I have been in talks with Dr. Aurelius, from the Capitol. He was the director of the Capitol Hospital. But, now is looking into helping setting up smaller healing centers in all of the Kingdom of Panem. We had discussed the benefits of having a person with great quality with homeopathic medicine, and I believe, ma'am, Mrs Everdeen, with all your background, of interim in the apothecary of your town, you experience with natural tinctures and remedies, would work wonders to help my people gain access to medicine otherwise too expensive, and difficult to obtain."

Mrs Everdeen kept a steady gaze towards Peeta, but it was Prim the one who asked, "You are offering our Mother, work as a healer in Merch, my Lord?" She can not decide if she should trust him or not, for now, she will contentwith   narrowing her eyes at him, awaiting his answer. 

"That would be a correct guess, my dear miss Prim." he smiled at her, then looked at a serious Katniss. 

"I would like, both Mrs Everdeen, and Miss Prim, to come stay in Merch, and work in structuring a Healing Center, where you can see patients, and produce your own Medicine" he looked at Katniss again, silently asking if this, his plan, was alright. 

"That would mean, we would have to move here!" Prim was finding it hard to keep her enthusiasm in check, there was not much, she would like better than to stay close to her sister; Katniss' eyes were as excited as Prim's were. 

"Yes, miss Everdeen, you and your mother would come to live in Merch. That is were Baker's Place comes into play. You see, I plan to build a small hospital facility, but that would take an enormous amount of time, so I figured, since I have not lived in Baker's Place in ages, why not spruce it up, and put it to good use? And before you protest my Lord, I am not relinquishing ownership of the manor, it is just serving a different purpose for now. Baker's Place will remain official Duchy property, and Winter Home will remain personal property, as well." The Earl, who was starting to look alarmed, was mollified with this explanation, so he said nothing, neither did Effie.

"So, Mrs Everdeen, I do not expect you to give me an answer right away, but I hope you can sit with your family and discuss this as a serious opportunity. Miss Everdeen would be studying her trade under Doctor Aurelius' direction, and she might surprise us and become a female Doctor herself!" He declared happily. Katniss could not believe her ears, she leapt and threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek, Prim joined in a group hug.

The two older women screwed up their faces in disapproval of the teens reactions, but both Peeta and Haymitch had burst out laughing. Peeta silently prayed, the girls never change their spontaneity.

"Thank you, my Lord! I have no words... I promise, me and my daughters, will discuss your proposal, and announce our decision promptly!" Mrs Everdeen assured with tears in her eyes. 

 

==============

 

"Will you return to Winter Home now?" Katniss whispered, hoping he would say no, and he did not disappoint her.

"I was hoping to escort you, for the rest of the afternoon. I still have a couple of surprises for you and Primrose in store!" He said with a broad grin in his face, she did not know she had a twin grin reflected on her own face. 

"Have not spoiled us enough today, Your Grace?" she felt her cheeks reddened.

"Never! There is always room for more!" He replied and snaked his arm around her waist, while walking to her awaiting carriage. 

"Where are you taking us?" Suddenly her face fell, Peeta noticed right away.

"What is it, my Lady?" He looked concerned.

"I have an appointment at 1:00 with Mrs Rooba, the caterer, and it is almost time... Could we do the other surprise after my meeting with her?" She asked. 

"Of course!" he said before helping her into the carriage, then helping the other women up as well. Then He and the Earl mounted their horses, the Earl said his goodbyes, as he was headed back to Winter Home, and everybody else to the caterers. 

Mrs Rooba's shop, was interesting; it was partly a butcher shop, and a grocer shop. Rooba herself was interesting, built like a bulky, tower of a woman, with wispy dark blond hair, that she kept in a tight bun at the top of her head. She seem to be the butcher herself! The best thing about her, was her booming laugh, that she let out often and freely.

It was not, until Katniss started talking coin, that Peeta intervened in the transaction. He had let her conduct this bit of business on her own, admiring her in her 'Hostess Mode', he was beaming the whole time; until the bill was shown.

"10.000 Coin?!" His eyes bulging comically, voice shrilled and disbelieving. "Last year we paid half of that! What kind of good are you serving?" He demanded.

Katniss just shot him an exasperated look, she sighed and then proceeded to explain.

"My Lord, I decided to hold a smaller celebration for our employees." Her voice was level, and her tone indicated her decision was final. "I find it unfair, to have those nice people serving us during the Festival, but then going to bed without celebration, good food or drink. So I ordered more food, the best ale Mrs Rooba could offer and some sweets, for those with families back home... I think their families should have a nice Yule Festival as well as us, and if we can give it to them, what harm it is to pay extra, to give our faithful Help a treat?" She finished with an air of superiority, that made Peeta, both frustrated and amused. 

"Well my Lady, seeing as I am the one footing the bill, I think, it would have been nice for you to share your plans before hand." He replied, with a deep breath.

"Umm... I-I guess, you are right, Sir. I am sorry for not consulting you with this expense... Please, do not make me cancel it! I have been looking forward to tell the men and women they can have some time off and bring their families to their own festival." She pleaded.

"No, ma'am, I will not force you to cancel your plans. It is your prerogative how you handle your household; as I said, I am merely footing the bill here, I just like to be informed on where are my funds going, that is all." He said with a small smile. 

"Thank you Sir!" She beamed at him. "I promise, I will always discuss budget with you from now on!" She squeezed his hand in a grateful gesture.

He could not hide the lovesick gaze he gave her, which made the rest of the women in the shop a little uncomfortable, almost like they were intruding in a private moment... Which for all purposes it was, as it involved money talk, a very touchy subject between the best of couples.

They settled their debt with Mrs Rooba, and took their leave. Next, Peeta guided them to the Cobbler's shop. 

Devlin Cartwright, was sweeping the front of his store, his face brightening as soon as he saw costumers stoping by. But is the sight of Katniss that bring a pleased grin to the hefty man, with the curly ashy-blond hair. In his twenty two years of age, he has seldom set eyes on beauty such as the new Lady Winter Home. He does a terrible job hiding it too, and Peeta finds himself acting a bit possessive of his Concubine in the younger man's presence. As usual, nothing seem amiss to the oblivious Katniss, who did not questioned her Master's arm tightly wrapped around her middle. Prim rolled her eyes at the display, and gave a tiny imperceptible head shake, with the hint of a smirk.

"Your Grace!" Devlin gave a half bow as was the custom, then bowed again to Katniss, "Lady Katniss, always as beautiful as the morning sun!" He said dreamily, and Peeta's jaw set, hard and angry, Devlin totally ignorant of the older man's struggle to not pummeled him into a pulp for looking at **_his_** Katniss, for daring to talk to her.

"Welcome! Please come inside, my Sister is putting the finishing touches on your new order. We were not expecting you for another 30 minutes, but it is always a pleasure to have you visit our shop." He finished by opening the door to the store, to allow them entrance. 

"Thank you my good man, we were done earlier than expected, and since we have other matters to attend to, we decided it best to stop by. Hope is not an inconvenienced for you and your sister." Peeta said without emotion, Katniss found this rather rude, she was not used to a rude Peeta, she wonder why did he disliked the boy so. 

Devlin smiled broadly at Peeta, "Oh my Lord, it is an honor to serve you and your guests, plus, you must be aware, of how happy does your visits make my dear Sister. Why it is the highlight of her week when you stop by!" They were all inside the pristine front of the only Shoe Shop in town. Everything was compulsively organized, too clean to be real.

Katniss started to feel uncomfortable in the store, it was not the excessive neatness that put her on edge... It was the flash of very long, blond curls that whipped by her, and the arms that curled around the neck of  ** _her_** Peeta, pushing her aside, severing the contact of his hand on her lower back. It was Katniss' turn to bite down on the expletives she wanted to so bad direct at Delly Cartwright.

"Peter!" She cried as she flung herself in his embrace. "It is so nice to see you!" Peeta finally extricated himself from her clutches, and rapidly gazed at his Concubine, finding her fuming at the other woman's brazenness. Once more, Prim observed, this time frowning... her sister was actually jealous of this woman.

"Um, H-hello, Miss Cartwright, it sure has been a long day, for both me and my beautiful Lady Katniss." He hoped, that the comment, was enough for her to understand his 'back off' warning. 

It was Effie, the one to cut off the uncomfortable exchange, "Miss Cartwright, allow me to introduce you, to the Everdeen Ladies. Mrs and Miss Everdeen are Lady Katniss' Mother and sister, here on holiday... Now, Mr Cartwright informed us upon our arrival, that you were putting finishing touches on His Grace's order? May you display your work for us?" Her tone was harsher than usual, but Katniss was glad for it, for it reminded the curvy blond of her place. 

Delly looked a little flustered, but, plowed through, all business like. "Yes, of course. It is a pleasure to meet you ma'am, miss... Delly Cartwright, me and baby brother Devlin would supply your every need in footwear." She gave them a smile. "Please follow me this way." she pointed at the next room, with her opened palm. And they all fell into step, behind her.

Once in the other room, she asked Katniss to take a seat, to try on her brand new hunting boots to go with her hunting outfit. Delly took a step back so Devlin could help Katniss, then she approached Lady Trinket, the other two Everdeen and Peeta, leaning in so only mostly he could hear, "I am so sorry Your Grace, I forgot myself there for a moment." she said almost contritely. "I promise it will not happen again." Her voice carried, and the other women heard every word. Prim almost laughed when Lady Trinket muttered exasperated under her breath,

"If only that were true! Curse his charming good looks!"

Meanwhile, Katniss was floored. The boots were a supple brown leather, with flat sturdy rubber soles, that tied with sturdy laces all the way up to the calf. Those were the most comfortable shoes she had ever owned. She looked up at Peeta, and rose her leg so he could see the booted foot, grinning, he asked,

"What do you think, _Sweetheart_?" He said playfully at her, but for the siblings benefit. Katniss gave him a look, but smiled at him a second later.

"The boots are great, Sir. Thank you! Thank you Mr Cartwright, your work is exquisite!" She said admiring the boots, Devlin grinned proudly.

"I am glad you are pleased with your purchase, ma'am "

After that, Peeta motioned for Prim to come forth, so she could get her feet measured for a few sets of shoes of her own. She was ordered to look through the existing merchandise for dressy shoes to go with her Yule Festival gown, because they would have no time to custom make her a pair in so short notice.

Both Katniss and Peeta were eager to leave the cobblers. The Cartwright siblings could be overwhelming with their unwanted attention. So after they settled the bill with Devlin, they said their goodbyes, and the siblings assured them they would be attending the Festival, without prompting. Devlin lingered a little to long kissing, Lady Winter Home's hand, and it did not go unnoticed by Delly the twitch in Peeta's set jaw, or the way his fingers seem to dig tighter into Katniss' hip when he pulled her away. Prim did not missed Delly's sour expression at that. 

Once back in the carriage, Peeta told the driver to take them to the brand new sweet shop at the other end of the street, this would be their last stop in Town for the day.

"Ladies, have you ever tried Frozen treats before?" Peeta asked them while helping them out of the carriage. 

"Father used to buy us ice cream for our birthdays, but I do not think we had had any since..." Prim trailed off, forlorn look in her eyes, then she shook her head and smiled softly at Peeta, "It has been a very long time, since we had tasted a frozen treat, Sir"

Peeta smile benignly at her in understanding, "Of course." He held out his arm to Katniss, who took a hold of it without hesitation, she had turned serous while Prim explained their ice creamlessness to him.

"Well, we are here for frozen yogurt, I have not had frozen yogurt since the summer, and I heard the new owner of the shop makes the best in Panem. Why don't we go find out for ourselves?"

Both teens nodded happily. And all five of them were sitting around a small round table inside the shop, enjoying their yogurt in no time. It was after 3 o'clock, when they finally headed back to Winter Home. Lady Trinket had decided that frozen yogurt would count as mid afternoon refreshments, so it was alright to skip on Tea. 

"And with a check mark next to Tea..." She muttered while check marking her organizer, "We are done for the afternoon, until supper! Dear God! The day has gone in the blink of an eye!" She looked up at Prim, "I wholeheartedly hope, you and your sister had a good day in Town today!"

Prim beamed at her, "It was my lady! It was!" 

 

==============

 

They arrived Home, just 10 minutes before the Baron and Baroness. Finnick had forgo his own mount, in order to stay with his very pregnant wife. It had been a long tedious ride for her, and her back and feet were bothering her, so once their coach stopped at the front steps if their destination, he allowed her to be helped down by Peeta and the boy called Pip.

Annie, practically jumped down the cabin of the coach, and Peeta stumbled backwards, stopping just in time before they both fell to the ground. "Annie!" He puffed out as greeting.

"Peeta! Oh! I am so, so, so happy to be finally out of that infernal contraption!" Annie cried out loud, Finnick who was descending the coach just rolled his eyes and huffed loudly behind them. "It is so nice to see you! Now please direct me to the washing room, I need to.." 

"Your Grace!" Finnick purposefully cut in, before his wife revealed too much information about her bodily fluid needs. "So glad to finally be in your presence again, my friend" he said softly, while giving him a manly hug.

Katniss stood by, on the steps, observing the friends greet each other, hands clasped in front of her, face held high, and a slight smile gracing her pretty features. She looked both pleased and nervous. Finnick caught her eye, and grinned at her, 'Ooh Lordy! He is got to be the most handsome man in the planet! He is all bronze hair and perfect smiles! And green sea eyes are just unreal!" Katniss flushed pink, and looked at her feet. She looked back up, to see the blond man, and his smile took her breath away. If his friend was the most handsome man in the planet, she could care less, her man was a living golden god! She smiled broadly.

"Is that her?" Annie whispered between the two men, her eyes glued to the raven haired beauty.

Peeta glanced at her, and grinned. "That is her!" His voice breathy "My beautiful Katniss!" he finished with a goofy smile. Then extended his hand to her, "My Lady, let me introduce you to my best friends, Baron and Baroness Odair, from Quattro..." 

Katniss had finally reached them. She curtsied to them, and Finnick kissed her hand, as it was customary. She let Peeta introduce her.

"My Lord, my Lady, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Katniss, Lady Winter Home!" they all exchanged smiles, then after a few minutes of pleasantries, Katniss guided Annie back into the house, and into the washing room... It had been a feat, that Lady Quattro held her need for release for so long.

 

==============

 

It was way after dinner, Primrose had been fidgety the whole time while at the table. She was a little uncomfortable with the shock expressions on the Baron and Baroness' faces when they met her. Lord Abernathy had reacted similarly, but, she had expected that... After all, she had known she was physically a copy of the Duchess, except for her straight hair; but the Baron and his wife, was a little too much. 

She had been pacing outside the kitchen door, for a while, when her sister walked up to her, annoyance marking her face. 

"Where did you go? I had to excuse myself to come find you! You missed dessert!" Katniss chided her baby sister.

"I am sorry Katniss, I really am, but... I am finding it very stuffy with all that people... I am sorry... Can-can we stay here a little longer?" 

Katniss sighed, "Very well, Little Duck, I will excuse you for the night. But know, that it will get crowder in the next few days, until the day after the Festival" Prim nodded. 

Then, the door to the kitchen flung open, a couple of maids spilled out if the warm kitchen laughing at some joke the most have heard inside, they stopped with a jerk, and bowed to the Ladies. Katniss just waved them off good naturally, and the two girls left to their quarters downstairs. The door had been left opened, and Prim noticed Thom laughing with the rest of the help, sitting around the rustic wooded table, where the cooks were prepping tomorrow's Breakfast. He looked up and saw them standing just outside the threshold, he smiled brightly at them, the others turned to follow his gaze, and at the sight of Katniss, all stood up and sobered greatly. 

"As you were," Katniss said smiling.

"Lady Katniss, would you like to come sit for a spell?" Asked old Sae.

Thom jumped up, seeing as Katniss was about to decline, "Doctor Everdeen! Please come in, I was waiting, to come ask if you liked to see Little Kitty" he said hopefully.

"Oh, Mr Thom! Is he here?" She asked excitedly. Thom nodded with a grin. Prim stepped into the kitchen, and her big sister followed.

"Right this way, ma'am!" He lead them to a wicker basket in the far corner, were the ugliest cat Katniss ever saw lay in a ball.

He was orange, part of his ear was missing and his face was smushed in. The cat stretched, and turned to see the newcomers, he instantly disliked Katniss, and she reciprocated the sentiment right away. He seem to adored Prim, and Prim adored him in return. Katniss looked at Thom and started laughing suddenly. He gave her a confused look, and she said between bursts of laughter,

"You are as inventive as your Master, when it comes to name animals, are you not?" She laughed again.

He smiled mildly, and said, "Maybe so my Lady. If you do not find the name suitable, I would love to concede the honors to my Mistress. Please, we will name it anything you decide!" He bowed.

"Oh no! I decline! You are welcome to just call him _Cat_ , or _Meow_. I am not very fond of felines." she said with a head shake. He smiled at Prim, remembering her comments the day before. 

"Well, I will let the beautiful Doctor bestow upon this creature an acceptable name..." She smiled broadly at him, her blue eyes shining.

"Buttercup!!!!" She cried out loud, making the rest of the kitchen to stop for a second, before returning to their own conversations. Prim picked up the little bundle of fur, and cooed, "It is the perfect name for you! I thought you were a Buttercup since the moment I laid eyes on you!" She kissed Buttercup between the ears, and the cat purred contently, Prim squealed "He approves! He loves his name!" She beamed at Thom and Thom beamed back at her. 

"Buttercup? What kind if name is that for a cat?... You are almost as bad as Peeta and Thom here!" Katniss said with a face.

"Oh... Leave him alone! it is perfect! Why, he is the exact color if a buttercup bloom! Even his beautiful eyes match it!!!" Prim half protested, half cooed. Thom just laughed lightly. Katniss rolled her eyes. 

"Whatever you say, Prim!" She straighten up, "Well, I need to go back to my guests. You are free to stay here and play doctor with... _Buttercup_ " she mocked the cat, and the cat hissed at her. 

"I will stay! I had promised Mr Thom to help him with the bandages?" She gave Thom an inquisitive look, and he nodded. This was enough for her, and smiled at her sister, telling her, she would go to bed soon, and to tell mother she would see her in the morning. Katniss said her good nights to the rest of the employees, and left.

"So, miss Everdeen... Would you like a cup of hot cocoa?" Asked Thom caressing Buttercup's hide. Prim smiled, the brightest smile he had ever seen.

 

•••••••••••••••••••

 

Cato had proven to be an exceptional lover. Cashmere would always orgasm at least trice, before he let himself spill inside of her. It made a difference when the lover was actually infatuated with her, she reasoned. 

But, soon after her new royal affair had started, she found out, Cato had a fetish of sorts... He liked to hear her talk about her past liaisons, in minute detail, and recreate things he found interesting or appealing. She thought it was a little disturbing when he would asked about his father the King, but it was worse, when he asked her to recount her encounters with Lady Glimmer. She hated talking about them, but he was insistent. 

She had learned to care about the young lady, and it was surprising to her how much it hurt to lay there in the Prince's bed, telling him how she pleasured another woman, while he imparted the exact same ministrations to her. She felt guilty, because it did aroused her to talk about it, and feel his hands, lips and tongue on her, she usually came hardest when talking about Glimmer, and she despised herself for it.

The King had ordered her, to provide boarding for the Lady, while she stayed in the Capitol. Cashmere could not refused, since the King had plainly said in no uncertain terms, that if she refused, she would loose her house, and would have to move into her husband's Capitol house... He almost never use it, as he very seldom came to the Capitol, but still she would never ask him to give her his house, if she could have her own, which the King had graciously provided as a 'Wedding gift' for his nephew's bride. It was there she lost her virginity to her husband, as he refused to lay with her in his own house.

Glimmer, had spent the first three weeks with Cashmere; the first week nothing happened, the second week, Cashmere was ordered to introduced the girl to self pleasure, that same week, Lord Crane, send word to his daughter, announcing he had accepted a marriage proposal on her behalf, to her long time sweetheart Sir Marvel. Cashmere realized the man was trying his last ditch effort to keep his daughter from the King, and seeing the girl so happy about the news, she started to hope, the Trick would work; but came the next week, she started to ease her into pleasure at another's hand, the other being her. 

The problem was, that the two women started to spend more and more time together, learning about coupling behavior, feelings started to get muddier, less cut and dry, confused and all around scary. The second night of the third week, Glimmer had come so hard, she fell asleep in Cashmere's arms, the next night it happened again, and the following night was a repeat, at the end of a short month, they were sharing Cashmere's chamber even on nights when there were no 'lessons'.

Glimmer was a fast learner, Cashmere had to report back to the King every week; he demanded both women joined him at his dinner table every night, and as Cashmere, had eased Glimmer into her bed, the King had eased her into accepting his touch. It started simple, holding her hands, then it progressed into putting his hand on her shoulder, neck, on the small of her back, the same with kisses, he would kiss her chastely, like a loving grandfather, then less chaste, and less chaste, and less, until the third week, he kissed her breathless, and not in a good way, he had pushed his tongue inside the cavity of her mouth, he had suck on her lips, the bit on them, he squeezed her breast hard, with one hand, and her back side with the other,  she whimpered in pain, but he did not stop until she was pressed against the door to the dinning room, his erection rubbing on her belly, like a dog in heat. Cashmere was always there, always watching, helpless, numbed, angry.

That same night, she started entertaining the Prince. She came home, to a very hurt and confused Glimmer, sexually sated, stinking of a man's seed and sweat; Cashmere spent great part of the day explaining to her, the dangers of refusing the King, she told her, how she had to keep the Prince company now, just to preserve her house, her income, her life style... Glimmer had been so disgusted, she refused to talk to her, or sleep in the same chamber. But one night apart, was enough for Cashmere to go to Glimmer, begging for forgiveness, it took Glimmer just a moment to go back to her lover's bed.

It happened on the fourth week, Glimmer's naked body, glistening with both their sweat, heaving for air, she uttered the three forbidden words, into the dark bedchamber. Cashmere froze up, she could not say it back, she had never said those words to a living soul; but, all the same, she got on her knees and crawled all the way, in between the her companion's tights, and made come, once, twice, trice, until she fell asleep exhausted.

She wished, she had said the words back that night, for they were never repeated, not when the very next night, both women were brought into the King's chamber, where he sat back, and watched on, as Cashmere made Glimmer scream in pleasurable agony again, and again. That night, Glimmer locked herself in the bathroom, and scrubbed her skin raw, trying to get the dirty feeling off of her, to no avail. Cashmere, had one of her male servants break down the door, to retrieve the sobbing youth.  All she could do, was hold her, and cry with her, until it was time, to return to Cato's bed. So, Cashmere, felt the desperation of helplessness, for the first time in many years... Her fear just grew deeper and worse, as the days went by, and the moment where the King would claim his prize of a beautiful maid, come, and destroy her Glimmer for ever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving! Mine was pretty good after a rough night of my kid being sick. I got to see Mockingjay: part 1, and I have to gush! It was amazing! Mockingjay is my least favorite book in the series, but I respect the material greatly. On movie form, is my favorite. Can't wait to go watch it again with my girlfriends! 
> 
> Excerpts from The Hunger Games/Catching Fire movies in italics. 
> 
> Thank you abk1973, for Devlin! I love him in your fic... He will make another cameo soon! Hope I did an ok job with him. 
> 
> Still, Happy Hunger Games, and may turkey is plenty on your tables!


	10. Ahoy there, Dame Mason!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any recognizable Characters or places from the Hunger Games.

"Ahoy there, Peter! Fin!... Old Man!" Dame Mason yelled at the top of her lungs greeting the three men standing at the entrance of Winter Home, while hanging precariously from the open window of her carriage.

Lady Trinket just pushed all her breath through her nose, and pursed her lips, ' _Why did all the women around him, insisted on calling him by his name, with so little decorum, as if he was a mere farm hand_?'

Of course, Dame Mason was an entirely different species all of her own. The petit, lithe figure of the woman, lunged out of the open door of her carriage, before it had even slow down to stop, she unsurprisingly landed gracefully in front of the men, she made the whole thing look effortless. She took a step closer to her friends and grinned.

"What?" She pretended she had not just done something that would be practically impossible to reenact by any of the men watching her, let alone any other women, "So, how are you all, distinguished men, doing? Enjoying bonding time?" She continued as if nothing had happened. All the men laughed at that, and shook her hand in greeting, only Finnick gave her a hug hello, and muttered that Annie would be pleased to know she had finally arrived.

While exchanging salutations, she looked up at the top of the steps, to noticed the three female figures standing up there, like sentinels guarding the entrance to a castle. Her eyes lingered on the cute blond little thing at the back. She then snapped her whole face in Peeta's direction,

"Holy shit! Do not tell me that, _that_ is what the succubus sent you?" She jerked her head on Prim's direction. "And please, please tell me, you have not marred her innocence! She looks way to young to be fucking!" Her eyes hard.

Peeta, breathed in, long, then released the air slowly, "Long story... But, no. My Concubine is the slightly older one. They are siblings. And no, I have not fucked her..." He almost said 'Yet' but stopped himself just in time, he sincerely believed he would never touch her and ruin her.

Dame Mason looked back at the dark haired, stoic looking girl. She could see how uncomfortable she was making her, under her scrutiny, so she redirected her sight to the men in front of her.

"Well... She does not look much older than the little thing, but seems like she could handle a few hard thrusts into her without breaking in half!... Why have you not done the did already?" She eyed her friend suspiciously, while he squirmed under her words and gaze.

"Johanna!" Finnick chided angrily.

"No, it is fine... I will answer her. After all who can I tell any of my secrets if not the four of you?" Peeta said with a sigh. "I am in love with her." He said simply, like there was no more explanation needed, but Johanna was not satisfied.

"What kind of bullshit is that answer? That is not an answer at all! Would not, _being in love_ with someone, constitute grounds enough to copulate?" She was harsh, but took a breath before saying. "Look, Peet... I am not saying that you have to be like every other pig there is in this God forsaken kingdom, but, you can not live your life pinning away for a woman that will never come back to you... I am sure Madge would kick your ass for doing this to yourself if she was here right now." Her tone had soften a great deal.

Haymitch cleared his throat loudly, when Peeta did not responded back. "Well Johanna, as the boy said, it is a long story, that is not worth recalling in the middle of a freezing courtyard, without a drink of whiskey to lubricate the throat. What say you, we introduce you to the ladies up the steps, and then go inside to sit by the fire, and answer all your questions?" He said putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded her assent,

"Sounds like heaven!. My ass hurts from that stiff bench, I could use a drink. Lead the way Old Man!"

Peeta ordered his men to take Dame Mason's luggage to her chambers, then followed the group up the steps to his house. The friends had just met the ladies at the top step. Haymitch was doing all the talking,

"... This here is Sweetheart... Or as the boy prefers it, Lady Katniss. Her sister Miss Everdeen, we call her Miss Prim affectionally... And you gotta remember Effs, from all those years of her yelling at you to act like something you are not... A lady!" He guffawed at Effie's horror stricken expression, Johanna started laughing hard, next to Haymitch.

"Well, I never..." Effie cried indignantly, "That was the most inappropriate, introduction I have ever witness! Very disappointing My Lord!" She huffed exasperatedly.

Johanna kept on laughing, but snorted a hello to the women in front of her, then did a half bow and introduced herself. Tears were trailing down the side of her face with laughter. Both Finnick and Peeta looked at their friends with disapproval in their eyes, and remained standing there, not joining. Johanna, finally wiped her tears away with the tips of her delicate fingers, then looked at the other two men behind her, and asked, amused, "What crawled up your asses? You should let loose every now and then, you suck the merriment out of life... Both of you" she started laughing again.

Peeta looked at Prim, and saw her eyes shining in amusement, she was regarding Dame Mason from head to toe, with too much eager curiosity... ' _Well, she does not need more encouragement_!'.

"Lady Trinket, will you please escort Miss Everdeen inside? I think she is starting to shiver with cold!" He said with a pointed look, Effie read loud and clear his meaning, and nodded, Prim just narrowed her eyes at him accusingly, she had been wearing the thickest, most insulated, warmest coat in the whole kingdom, she had woolen gloves, scarves, socks... She had woolen everything, she was actually about to break a sweat!

she understood, he did not want her around the intriguing woman. He told her the other night, _she was almost as crass as Dame Mason_ , and Dame Mason was fascinating to her at the moment, so she made it a point, to ask loud questions about Johanna while Effie pushed her inside the doors.

"My Lady, if Dame Mason is allowed to wear trousers like a Man, and have a her hair as short as it is, why was it such a big deal, when Lady Katniss got fitted for hunting wear?" She looked over her shoulder smugly, Katniss scowled, and lowered her gaze, while Peeta sent her a warning look, and both Johanna and Haymitch raised an eyebrow, before exploding in laughter once more.

Effie just inhaled air deeply... "Miss Mason... Is the exception..." She was too quiet to hear more, as they disappeared behind the doors.

It was true, Dame Johanna Mason, was not just an exception, she was exceptional. She was the only woman who did not look out of place wearing britches and button up shirts. She made her outfits look feminine and stylish, even though the pieces were completely male. The length of her soft brown hair, only reached to her neck, much shorter than any unwed maid would sport it. She did not used hair ribbons either, her only accessory being a pair of gold earrings in the shape of a maple leaf, and a short necklace with a tiny hatchet for a pendant. She had an exotic beauty to her, with her wide set brown eyes, that could intimidate the burliest lumberjack into submission with one of her stares, in spite of her minute size and delicate features.

It was widely know, that Dame Mason, did not adhered to the norms of females in society. She was the lone survivor of the House of Mason, if she would have been born a boy, she would be know as Earl Sieben; but in their society, women did not inherit Nobility Titles, neither they inherit the properties linked to the titles; the only thing the former Lady Mason inherited, was a small personal house, a small fortune in personal coin, her parents had saved up for her dowry and the many jewels and clothes in her wardrobe. She was not allowed to keep anything else from her Father's house, not even the portraits of her gone family. Everything returned to the Crown, until the King decides to appoint a new Earl of Sieben.

The one thing Johanna was allowed to have, was the investiture of Dame, after serving the same Crown that had stripped her off of her wealth and position.

She had served in the King's army during one attack from a neighboring kingdom, single-handedly delivering the enemy's Captain, with an ax stuck to his body. She was ruthless in battle, and the King feared his men would follow her, if she ever decided to rebel against him, so, it was decided to include her in their next Knighting Ceremony, naming her the first and only woman 'Knight', thus becoming Dame Mason, forever more, receiving a monthly stipend as a reminder that she was now in the kingdom's payroll.

Johanna was not a bitter woman. She was quite content, she had all kinds of freedoms, not available to any other women, she was wealthy in her own right, she had a title on her right, she did not have to depend on a man for survival. She had discovered the freedom of choosing lovers at will, and then sending them packing when they started to cling to much or demand things of her. Katniss had heard the story plenty of times. Peeta had told her, all about his friends, how they all fit together, she never felt jealousy towards Dame Mason, but right now she felt very intimidated by the petit warrior staring at her, like she is trying to x-ray her very soul.

Then she approaches her, smirking, she walks around her, appraising her from head to toe; Katniss has not moved a muscle, standing straight, head held high, her grey eyes following the other woman with a hint of curiosity in her gaze, but never moving out of her stance. Johanna stays out of her peripheral vision for a moment, and then... 'Wham!'... Katniss yelps in surprise, jumping a foot away from the older woman,

"What the hell was that?" She yells rubbing her behind, where Johanna has just smacked her with all the force she could muster, after all, Katniss was wearing a lot of skirt.

"Ah! That is much better!" Johanna laughed

"What the hell Johanna?" Peeta forced through gritted teeth.

"What? I was just wondering where the 'Girl on Fire' was hiding under that prim and proper Lady façade!" She retorted innocently. Katniss' eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" He insisted, approaching his Concubine, taking a hold of her elbow, and checking on her, making sure she was not actually hurt. "What is all that nonsense about a girl on fire?" He demanded annoyed. Johanna laughed even louder,

"Why, you been sharing your bed with the famous Katniss Everdeen, better known as the Girl on Fire back home in the Capitol!" She smirked, "Are you not her, my Lady?" She eyed her expectantly. Peeta just looked confused.

"Yeah... I am the Girl on Fire, just... Not here." She grumbled, scowl set in her features. "Here I am Lady Katniss... Here, I do not have to resort to be explosive or angry, in order to be left alone or be taken seriously... Are you done irritating me?" Katniss asked eyeing Dame Mason.

Peeta did not know what to say or how to feel about this. ' _How had Johanna come across this most peculiar of information?_ '.

"I am for now!" Johanna responded amusedly. "I still want to get to know better, my friend's _significant other_! So expect me to follow you around!" She grinned, Katniss mastered her annoyance and nodded just slightly, returning to her composed Lady stance.

"As you please! Now, I must excuse myself, and take my leave; I am glad you have arrived well, and in such high spirits. If there is anything I can do to help your stay be any more comfortable, do not hesitate on letting me know." She paused to give the other woman the chance to say something, anything, but Johanna just stared at her smiling, "I will make sure your luggage has been delivered to your chambers." She then turned to see the men, "Supper will be served at 6 o'clock. Unless any of you require anything else, I will meet you all again at the table" Another pause, Peeta really had to make an effort to stay put, for the sake of decorum, he felt she was a little angry, and he had to fight the urge to follow her and grovel.

"My Lords!" She bowed, "Dame Mason, Welcome to Winter Home!" She bowed to Johanna, then straighten up once more, turned on her heel, addressed the perpetual main door fixture that was Thresh for a moment to give him some instructions, to finally walk into the house, and away from the torment that was Johanna Mason, she could tell they would clash; it was best to keep some distance between the two, she reasoned.

Once, she was out of earshot, Johanna spoke again, eyes still glued to the spot the maiden had just entered the house. "Well, the accounts about her beauty were correct, I guess." She said thoughtfully, "I did not see a lot of fire in her, though. Do not get me wrong, she seems like she has a boatload of spicy personality, but was acting very stiffly, just like sweet Effie!" She commented mockingly.

"Leave her alone Johanna..." Peeta breathed tiredly, "She is perfect! At least for me."

Haymitch laughed, "You wanna see fire? Just get her ticked off at something the boy has done or said!" He laughed louder, Peeta's jaw clenched, and Finnick gave him an apologetic look, "She is always full of fire, when she is angry at the boy, and let me tell you, it is quite the sight! You know what the best part is? You can actually feel the sexual tension emanating from the two of them... It is like watching their foreplay develop just in front of you!" The Earl was laughing so hard, there where tears drifting down his cheeks, Johanna was laughing too, Finnick intervened before Peeta was too far gone in anger and decided to kick them both out of the house and banned them from the festivities.

"I think we have amused ourselves, at the expense of the Master's of Winter Home, enough for the time being... Could we just, move on to other topics, Inside the warmth of the house preferably?" His gaze was stern when the other two looked at him, they caught sight of Peeta's angry face, and sobered up.

"Yes, my dear Fin, let us go inside... The Old Man here promised me a drink of whiskey, and I am looking forward to it!" Dame Mason said, sounding more composed. "After you, my Lords!" She added with a push of her hands on both their backs.

Peeta had not said a word since they left the front entrance, but after a few sips of his drink, and the comforting feeling of his hearth, he asked the question that had burdened him.

"How did you know she was called the Girl on Fire? I have never heard of it before" He was staring at the dancing flames in the fireplace. Johanna, who had been chatting with Haymitch, stopped to study her friend for a minute before answering.

"Her father, Mr Everdeen... People in the army still talk about him, like he is some kind of legend. Even the older Knights talk about him with such respect, is just admirable. Apparently, the man, was a miracle shot with that bow of his, but it was his leader personality, his common sense, his fairness, that made him so appealing to the ranks. The King tried to buy him by bestowing upon him the title of Knight, but he refused... Then that terrible accident happened not long after." Peeta's brow frowned, he did not like the sound of the last part of the tale... It was widely known, you do not, ever refuse King Coriolanus, it never ended up well.

Johanna continued, "The rumors say, his wife and daughters were starving soon after he died, whatever coin was given to them as compensation from the accident ran out. And you know how people in the Capitol can not be bothered, to help anyone out of themselves. It is said that the eldest girl had inherited his shooting skills, so, she started hunting in the outskirts of town, then soon she was trading her game for coin or goods. She could not have been old enough to wed yet, but men of all ages started to swarm her house... She shot a guy through his right hand when he tried to touch her." Johanna laughed, "The accounts say, the guy shit his trousers! I would have pay all my coin to have witnessed it!..." She wiped a merry tear from the corner of her eye.

"Apparently, after the incident, if a man even looked in her direction, her eyes would flickered in anger, if the man approached her, he would feel her words burn him through, if the man did not took his leave... He would feel her arrow!" She had a dreamy expression on her face, "She is supposed to be only 19!"

"Eighteen" Peeta muttered, looking at his friend.

"What?" Johanna asked, confusedly

"She is only eighteen... until the 8th day of May." He said a little more clearly. Johanna looked at him for a moment, his blue eyes simmering, maybe he was angry at something she said.

"Either way... When I heard your pretty concubine's name, it struck me as odd, she could not possible be the same girl, but how many Katniss Everdeens can there be in Panem?... I was a little disappointed, she seems... Domesticated... No fire whatsoever. No, all burning anger." She said while waving her hand around.

"You are wrong... She is got plenty of fire. It is just as she stated  earlier... She does not need it here, I am the only man she has to fend off, and I promised her I would not pursued her in that way. She, and her family, now have more coin and food, than they know what to do with..." He chuckles weakly, "She just spent ten thousand coin putting together a second party for our employees!"

He was staring at the fire again. "She won't let herself fall for me. Not while I am attached. Not while she is under contract." He took a swig of his whiskey. "She is a terrific shot! I am taking her hunting soon..." He said and his voice broke.

"Aww... Lover boy..." Johanna rushed to embrace her friend. "Shush now... It is quite fine." She looked at the other men, big brown eyes, pleading for help, but the others were at a loss for words.

"How can she even trust me, when her life has been such a struggle... a battle for survival, all the time? Is disgusting, that a thirteen year old had to shoot some sick bastard through the hand to keep him away from her! Can you imagine if she had not known how to shoot, how to defend herself? She could have been raped! Ruined forever... No wonder she wants nothing to do with me!" He was openly weeping now.

"Oh Peet..." There was nothing she could think to say to console him. She just held him tighter to her, rubbing his back.

"I love her, Jo, so much, it hurts... Right here..." He grabbed his shirt, over his chest, right where his heart pounded desperately. "I would give up anything, to show her, but I can not, she has forbidden it. She keeps telling me that Cashmere will come back one day and, she will be taken away from me, and there is nothing I can do to stop our fate! Then I feel like a piece of shit because all I want is to feel her writhing under my body, sometimes that is all I can think off, making her mine, over and over again, and when I come to my senses, I realize that I am no better than the bastard that she shot on the hand... I swore to her, I will never touch her, and by God, I will never..."

"Peeta, you have to stop! Now!" Johanna shook her friend by the shoulders "You are Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch, second in line to the Throne of Panem!" Her gaze was hard, "That mummy Coriolanus will die some day, you will be able to rid yourself from Cashmere... Actually, you might be able to divorced her sooner if she keeps up her erratic behavior... I have not shared with you, the gossip circulating in town about her, yet... The point is, Peet, there is hope, do not go swearing to the gods, something you can not upheld, you might regret the promised later on... And, you are not, a piece of shit bastard. She sleeps in your bed every night, and if your account is as truthful as I think it is, still she is a virgin..." Her eyes softened, he had stopped crying now, "I am proud of you lover boy! I really am! And I am sorry if I offended you by saying she has no fire left in her, I am sure she is an amazing woman for you to be so head over heels for her." She threw another glance at the other men, they were standing close by, uncertain, still muted, ' _You two suck_!' She mouthed when her friend was busy wiping his face.

After Peeta had calmed down, and taken another sip of his whiskey, Johanna said, pensive, looking into the flames, "Her father and his accident, was well before I joined His Majesty's army." She got the men's attention once again, "but, he is still well known amongst the men. Revolution would had have his name written all over, if he had been so inclined."

"What are you saying Johanna?" Finnick asked,

"Nothing... Nothing of importance" she said and went back to her drink.

 

===============

 

"I hear, His Grace built you a shooting range." Johanna says, as she approaches Katniss nonchalantly, "Care to show it to me?" She asks smirking, while grabbing an extra brush out of a bucket, and starts to brush the same horse, Katniss was grooming.

"Sure thing, Dame Mason. It would be my pleasure" Katniss answered as pleasantly as she could. 

Johanna just watches her, intently. After a minute of this, Katniss breaks the pregnant silence brusquely. 

"What is it, that you really want of me, ma'am? I feel like you dislike me somehow, I for one, firmly believe that it would save us both a lot of grief and time if you are open about it... What. Is. It?" There were flames in her eyes now.

Johanna seem relaxed, like she did not noticed anything amiss. But her actions, were calculated, thought out. She slowly put the brush down, back in the bucket, and turned to look Katniss straight, the younger woman just stared, seething.

"Here is the thing Girl on Fire... I do not trust you, I do not like you, last of all, but certainly not least, I do not like how men, and I mean, good men, look up at you, like you are some kind of... Dream come true, or something, and then fall over your feet, to you, just walk all over them!" Johanna gave her an accusing stare, both women at edge, tension so thick it could be sliced with a knife. 

They were not the only people in the stables, by any means, but at the moment, the place felt deserted. Pip, had been pitchforking some hay into a stall, but as soon as he saw his Mistress stare daggers at the She-Knight, he ran out to fetch Thom, he would know what to do. 

Meanwhile, in the stables. The air was heavy and Katniss had clenched her jaw and fists, bracing herself. 

"First of all, I would appreciate it if you did not call me that! My name is Katniss Everdeen. Second, I have absolutely no idea what are you talking about. Men do not fall at my feet, for me to walk all over them, and since we do not know each other, I highly doubt you have any bases for such an accusation..."

"Oh! But I do!" Dame Mason cut in, "I know of you, miss Everdeen, I know how you operate. I thought it was admirable, spurring off unwanted attention, keeping dirty paws off you and your mother and sister... until I came here, to realized the nasty number you have done on my friend the Duke... Somehow it was the same thing you did to Sir Hawthorne..." Johanna spewed, and Katniss did a double take, reeling herself in automatically.

"Sir Hawtorne? What does Gale have to do with any of this? What nasty number have I done?" Katniss asked in a mixture of anger, confusion and disbelief.

"You ripped his heart out, and stomped on it! That is what you have done! Just like you are currently doing to my friend!" The older woman spat, fury and disdained all over her face.

"What?" Katniss gasped incredulously, "I would never do that to any man... Least of all my former best friend, or my beloved Pe... Master!" Her eyebrows were furrowed, her voice was soft, pleading, she took a step backwards. "I do not know, where you get your information from, but neither men, have a real interest on me. Gale... Sir Hawthorne, has been acting by some sense of... Misguided loyalty, in his affections, he really does not want me as his wife, like he has made everyone believe; he just wants to protect me from dishonorable men, which I said time and again, I am more than capable to fend off on my own." She spoke slowly but firmly, never gazing away from Dame Mason's face,

"I do not think I owe you this explanation at all, but, what ever you think you know, about me and Gale... You are wrong. I love him, but just as a sibling would love another. I told him I was never going to marry, and he did not believe me, or understand me. Whatever he feels for me, it is not romantic   love! I have always been honest with him, and what I been telling him for the past year, am telling you right now!" She pursed her lips, and looked Johanna square in the eyes. Johanna did not move.

"Now... About, my Lord, the Duke... I would die, before I inflicted any pain on him!" for the first time since the argument started, she looked away from the other woman, thoughts rambling, her feelings for Peeta were confusing at best, she was never sure that what she said and what she felt was necessarily the same, so it took her a while to get her thoughts organized, to formulate an answer. So, she went with honesty... She had gone with honesty about Gale, she decided to keep the same vein of answers.

"The Duke, confuses me... Greatly" she took a shaky breath. Thom had finally made into the stable. He was keeping quiet, he wanted to hear what his Mistress had to say about his Master. Johanna on the other hand, had remained impassive, looking on, not moving.

Katniss continued, "I am not sure, what my feelings for him are... But I can assure you, I have never before felt, the way I feel for him. He, infuriates me. He endears himself to me. When he is not around, I miss his presence terribly. Every time I set eyes on him I feel the bottom of my stomach drop, and then fill with fear, thrill, something akin to happiness. And longing... There is a lot of that as well. I do not quite understand what it means, and it scares me to not end. I never wanted to marry, I never wanted to have a family, or to love anyone, and it is taking all I have to keep myself from doing exactly that! Every day is a struggle, every night... Sometimes, I wish he would... Claim me as his, I would let him between my legs easily, if he as much as hinted desire, but, I can not. He does not want me, or feel like that for me. He... Loves that girl in the portrait, in his desk. The one that resembles my sister and not me, she is what he prefers in a woman... There is where his heart lies, not with me..." Her voice was so low, so soft, so defeated, Johanna felt pity... She could see the truth in the teen's words and body language, the dejection, the sadness, the acceptance of a truly awful fate.

"You truly are brainless, aren't you girl?" It was more an exclamation than a question. Katniss shook herself out of her sadden state to shoot Johanna an angry glare. 

"So now you decided to also insult my intelligence, madam Mason?" She counter coldly. 

"Not at all... I just truly think you are more blind than stupid, but you are right about one thing... I do not know you. And I should have not judge you so harshly without knowing you first... I can clearly see now, where your problem lies." She said lazily. 

"Then, by all means Dame Mason, enlighten me!" Katniss said with all the sarcasm available to her. Thom smiled on his hiding place. 

"First of all, if I am to affectionally call you 'Brainless', you can drop the formalities as well, Johanna will suffice." Katniss rolled her eyes, she was not very fond of her newly acquired nickname, but she was not about to start another round with this crazy woman, when they had finally reached some sort of understanding... She owed it to Peeta, to have peace with his friends, no matter how out of sorts the made her feel. Johanna kept talking, ignoring Katniss' internal debate. 

"Second, you truly. Have. To be. Blind, not to notice the effect you have on other people..." She forced and dragged every word, as if they were her feet she was yanking out of a puddle of mud with great effort. "You are a legend back home, men lust after you, without even having ever set eyes on you. Say what you want about Hawthorne, but, 'tall, dark and handsome' there, was like a lost puppy dog when you left for your new ' _position_ ', I did not know, the position was between my dear friend the Duke and his mattress!" Katniss cringed at that, it sounded so awful. It was Johanna's turn to roll her eyes, "Are you truly a virgin then?" She asked with a raised brow, Katniss' eyes widened, she froze in place, and felt her face burn furiously. 

"I... Uh... Wha... How-how is that even any of your business?" She finally stuttered Indignantly. 

Johanna let out a short laugh. "Ha! no wonder Peeta is in such a state! You are like his own personal Holy Grail!" she guffawed loudly, "have you ever even pleasure yourself? I would actually be surprised if you even know where your special bundle of enjoyment is located at!" She cried out with mirth, Katniss' mouth was hanging open, at a loss for words, eyes so big, it was a wonder they were still attached to her skull. 

"Tell you what Brainless..." Johanna said between chuckles, "Next time you are alone in the bathtub..." She looked into the flabbergasted big grey eyes of the girl in front of her, and continued with a smile, "Do yourself a favor... Put your fingers, between your thighs, and find a little mound in there, a tiny button if you will, it will make you gasp at the touch..." Her demeanor was a little more sober now, almost serious, she even lowered her voice. "Let your mind relax, then massage yourself there. If you should think, about any man in particular during your,   _Experiment_... Then it should be clear who is it, you really want to share that sensation with. Believe me, it is fool proof." she was now completely serious, not a hint of laughter left in her, her voice a whisper only for Katniss' ears. After a second of silence, in which Katniss had still not found her voice, nor regained control over her limbs, the older woman added, "And if it is my friend the Duke, you see in your mind's eye during your bath... Please, take him out of his misery. I can not stand a sexually frustrated Peeta, again." her tone both pleading and annoyed.

"Again?" Katniss rasped weakly.

"Yes, again!" She huffed. "He is not the kind to grovel over woman, last time he got all ' _blue_ ' was before he proposed to Margaret, he was about your age, and... Hormones are a bitch. Luckily Madge was as eager as he was..." She said with a far away stare. ' _Madge... He had slept with that Madge girl, then. Was that why he was so hang up on her?, and... Did Dame Mason said he proposed to her? Why did they not married then?_ '. Before she could stop herself, the question was out of her lips... Thom's heart beat increased, he felt his chest constrict.

"Where is Margaret? Why is she not Peeta's wife instead of...?" She stopped herself short, she was not saying her name, she figured her employees' superstitious ways were rubbing on her, it was bad luck to utter the Duchess' name out loud. 

Johanna was abruptly broken out of her thoughts, returned to earth by the question, she had not meant to talk about Madge, not behind her friend's back, and _specially_ not to his Concubine, whom was struggling with her own feelings for him. Her lips pursed, she breathed deeply, and resolved to answer as vaguely as possible, but still give the girl a sense of how final the relationship was between Peeta and Madge. 

"It is not my place to talk about the Duke's past." she started in a monotone, "He loved Margaret, she loved him back. They where to wed the day of her twentieth birth day. She... She could not make it. He decided a wife was not in the stars for him, then the King commanded him to wed 'The Witch' as I call her... I do not know how he does it, but he is not like other men, he does not crave for a woman's body in his bed, he is content just being alone. I am not saying there has not been other women, there has... Dear Delly being the last one, before The Witch, but judging by your face, you are already aware of this... Do not be jealous Brainless, as I said, he only craves a woman when he deeply cares for her, if you only had an inkling of how much he craves you... Well..." She did not finished her thought, instead, she gave her a sheepish smile, "Sex can be rewarding, you know. Peeta needs it... he needs a good fuck, and not to get you out of his system, like most men would... He really cares about you." Katniss felt her face reddened, she lowered her gaze to the ground, biting her lip.

"I... I do not know if I am ready. I mean, I know I should be ready, it is my duty after all... I am incredibly lucky, Peeta us my Master, he has been so protective of me, so caring... I am just, scared. The problem is, I am afraid to give myself to him, and then lose what we have together, lose him, and then lose myself... I guess, I wish I knew how he really feels about me, or... At least, what do my feelings mean!" She was so hesitant, so confused, Johanna felt saddened.

"I can not tell you what all your feelings mean, that is something you have to work out yourself, but, I am one hundred percent sure, you feel the same way for him as he does for you."

"But... Madge..." She started to protest

Johanna raised her hand to stop her, shaking her head. "No, Madge is gone, never to come back. Whatever he felt for her, was a decade ago. He is fully devoted to you Brainless, I wish you could see that." 

"I know he is devoted to me... Out of obligation not doubt." Katniss said dismissively. "He could never see me as a serious prospect! I am just but a charity case for him, a child who has been entrust in his care. He does not want me... If he did, he would have not promised so easily... He would have never given up his right to me, never..."

"Oh dear! You are as sexually frustrated as he is!" She laughed, "This is too much! My word!" she was dramatically clutching her chest over her heart, smiling mischievously. "Brainless! I am appointing myself as your sex guru! I am going to make it my mission to get you laid with sweet Peet above you! by the end of my stay, you will be an expert seductress!" she laughed loudly, at the girls stunned expression. "It is going to be fun being at Winter Home after all!" She laughed again, and started walking away, "I am looking forward to our next meeting! I will impart all my wisdom and knowledge! You will be a beast in the sack by the time I am done with you Brainless!" she shouted, already by the stable doors, "Peeta will not know what hit him!"

Katniss stood there, rooted to the ground... ' _What. Just. Happened?_ ' She kept staring at the open doors, unmoving, in a daze. She was not sure if she had just befriended Johanna Mason or not. Thom made his presence known to her, by clearing his throat.

"Is my Lady alright?" he asked with concerned. "Should I go fetch His Grace?" He asked a little anxious. She finally reacted at the mention of Peeta. 

Focusing her gaze on Thom, she mumbled "That will not be necessary, thank you..." Her voice was merely a whisper, she had a half scowl painted on her lips. "Did you- did you hear all she said?" She asked a little fuzzy in the head, it was good she was not all there, otherwise, the whole thing would be painfully mortifying.

Thom hesitated for a second, but with downcast eyes nodded, "I did. I heard most of it... I made the rest of the men leave, and I was about to approach, but I thought it more prudent to let you... Take your time with Dame Mason." he said contritely. "Are you alright?" He asked again.

"I am fine, mr. Thom... Just, not quite sure, of what did I just got myself into this time." she then panicked, her eyes imploring, she asked, "Has His Grace ever... With Dame Mason?" Her eyes where huge and pleading.

"No, my Lady!" Thom rushed to reassured her, "It has never been like that between them. They are childhood friends, same as the Baron and Baroness, and to some extent myself." he trailed off.

"You? But, You are closer to my age than his, Mr Thom... have you always been by his side then?" She asked softly.

Thom smiled, "I have. Since I was twelve. It was about the same time he..." Thom almost said too much , were he had finished saying his sentence, he would have revealed, he met his master the same season he proposed to Margaret, so, he said something more suiting for his Mistress' ears; "He was nineteen years old then, when I came to work for him, he took me in as if I was his little sibling."

"He mention something of the sort before... Why did you choose to stay with the farm hands? His Grace told me once, that you could have your own quarters in the main house if you so pleased." Her voice was soft, sincere. 

He smiled at her, his characteristic easy smile. "I find it easier to remember who I am, and where I came from, my Lady. I do appreciate all His Grace has done for me over the years, but as long as I am detached, I will stay in the barracks with the rest of the men."

"I see..." She smiled back at him, "Well, for once, hope you find that who would fulfill your hearts desire, and when you do find her, I wish there are no impediments for you to be together!" She said sincerely. He swallowed thickly, and gave her a sad smile, before saying,

"My late mother used to say: 'No love story, worth telling has been without obstacle. No epic romance came to pass the test of time without a little suffering before the happily ever after', so I will not mind, a slow burn, as long as I get my happy ending, my Lady... And I am sure, neither would you!"

 

=============

 

"Peeta, you bastard!" She flunged the doors to his study open, not even caring to see if he had company... Which he did. A very starstruck Prim watched her entered, from were she sat on the chair in front of his desk, she perked up at the boisterous intrusion of Dame Mason, clearly enjoying herself.

"No wonder the girl is confused... You have not been clear about your feelings for her, and you still keep a portrait of Madge on your desk?... By the way, where is it? I do not see it!" She loudly demanded of him, stretching over his desk, clearly looking for the portrait. All he could do, was to breath in, and calmly respond.

"Dame Mason, as much as I would love to have this conversation with you, I am engage in a previews discussion, as you no doubt can clearly see on your own!" He glared at her exasperated, her eyes snapped to the teen sitting in the room, grinning widely. 

"Oh, shit... Sorry, Missy, I did not realized you and his grace were in talks... He is usually drinking with the Earl and the Baron when he shuts himself in here." She directed at Prim.

"Dame Mason... Language..." He sing-sang. Prim rushed to respond.

"Oh is quite fine! I am not easily offended, and my ears have heard worse!" Her smile bright and easy.

Johanna looked at her suspiciously. 

"Well, _**I**_ do not think it is appropriate Miss Everdeen, you do not need new... _Terms_ to expand your lexicon." He grumbled. Prim shot him a dirty look. And Johanna had to stifle a chuckle, she found the exchanged intriguingly funny. 

"Fine... Who is Madge, and can you show us this portrait of her?" She asked politely, but her gaze betrayed her annoyance at him, and the vindictive question was proof.

"Madge, is my fiancée..." He started saying before Johanna interrupted him.

" _Former... former_ fiancée" Peeta glared at her again.

Teeth gritted, "Former fiancée... Thank you Madam! Is that all? I can take from here!" He hissed at his friend. 

"Oh no, my Lord! How about that portrait?" Prim asked innocently,

"No way! I have had enough of the two of you!" He said angrily. 

"Oh come on you sour-puss! Do not make me run and tattle to Lady Katniss!" Prim taunted him. Peeta glared at her. But with a harsh movement, yanked the center drawer opened, and pulled out his sketch book. With a glared at both females, he handed the picture to Johanna, who visibly softened her features, to immediately frown, then looked at Peeta, then at Prim, then at the sketch in her hands. she passed it over to the eagerly awaiting Prim.

Her blue happy eyes, turned cold once she saw it, her hand flew up to the half braid she wore. Her gaze was hard, when she looked at Peeta, and handed the drawing back to him. "Straight hair?" She asked, her voice as hard as her stare.

Peeta nodded, putting back the sketch in the book, and the book in the drawer. 

"Where is she now? Why is she not here, with you?" Her voice trembled for a second.

"She is dead" was all Peeta said, and he saw Prim's face screw up,  as if she was in pain. 

"How did she know about it?" Johanna asked, voice cold.

"She saw it before... I was sketching her, she snuck up behind me, nearly gave me a heart attack, her damned hunter's tread!" he said with a resigned sigh. "Any way... this one flew out of the book, she handed it to me, did not let me explain what it was she was looking at... Never brought it up again since."

"Well my Lord, I do have something to share with you when you have a mo..."

"If it concerns my sister... Peeta and I have no secrets, is that not right, Your Grace?" She shot him a pleading look,  he nodded once, and she said to Dame Mason, "Please, do not stop on my behalf. I want to know... It is my fault, she is in this unfortunate position" Johanna saw the determination in the teen's blue eyes, she was sure, she could deduce how all this came to be. 

"very well... The Lady Katniss is under the impression that His Grace is still holding on to the memory of his former fiancée. She believes you to be in love with her still, pinning for her, effectively leaving her inadequate in your eyes..." She raised her hand to stop his protests, "I did my best to tell her that, it was not the case, but, I am unsure she believed me... Uh... Umm..." She hesitated, looking at Prim sideways.

"Spit it out, Johanna, Prim is going to ask me to death until I tell her anyway." He said tiredly.

"She-she is confused in her feelings  towards you... And... She might be, ummm... _Willing_. But she is not... Ready yet, I guess..." She trailed off, Peeta's eyes widened and he felt his skin flushed and tingled, Prim on the other hand, narrowed her eyes, and snorted.

"Good luck with that!" She forced, folding her arms over her chest, adopting her 'rebellious' posture from her first night in Winter Home, "Try and go down that road... You might loose your hand in the process!" She stated. 

"Do not be so sure, miss Prim... Your sister is a big girl, and for the little conversation we had, she appeared curious enough..." She was saying nonchalantly, before Peeta cut her off.

"Johanna! Goddamn it! Can you please filter yourself?" He gritted out.

"Oh, like she is a little girl! Can you see it in her eyes? Her soul is older then her years... She is no innocent baby, she can handle it! Can't you little miss sunshine?" Johanna spat.

"I most certainly can! But I still think you are totally wrong about my sister, wanting to... You know... Copulate!" She was equal parts proud, equal parts indignant, but there was an edge of doubt in her tone now.

"God! That is enough! Primrose, I think we are done talking about your schooling for today... Also, You are forbidden to talk to Dame Mason on your own!" 

"Hey!" Both women protested at the same time. 

"Why can't she talk to me? What did I do?" Johanna screeched

"My decision is final... You are not the best influence Johanna, and Primrose is entirely too ' _street smart'_ for my licking" He glared at both of them, Prim was about to say something, when he finished her, "Do not make me go to your mother about this..." 

Prim gasped in indignation. "You would not..." She breathed out, "What are you? five years old?" She accused, Johanna laughed, and Peeta smoothed his brow in superiority... The matter is settled.

 

=============

 

Supper was served at 6:30 on the dot. Lady Katniss had come up with a menu, full of vegetables, the only source of proteins being  roasted venison, from a deer His Grace himself had fell, the day before. She had personally made the creamy parsnip purée, the sautéed carrots, mushrooms, spinach and onions in minced garlic butter, and a very delectable pumpkin and red peppers soup. She was trying to keep her table simple, in preparation for the over the top delicacies they would be serving for the Yule Festival in two days time. 

Dessert was an equally simple chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream and candied cherries. 

Both dinner and dessert, where very pleasant affairs. At the moment, everyone was gathered in the library; the men where huddled over a chess board nursing glasses of brandy, while the women were chit-chatting idly. Katniss had been very jittery ever since the little dessert bowls were cleared away by Cecilia and her team of maids. If it would not have been for Lady Trinket, who was suspiciously watching Katniss like a hawk, she would have cleared up the eating utensils herself, brought them over to the kitchen, and most probably had washed them, towel dried them and put them away as well... Which was a telling feat of her current state of mind, as she actually abhorred doing dishes. Thinking of it, that is probably the reason why she had stayed in the kitchens today, _cooking_ , not just helping to peel potatoes or pass the butter, but actually prepping, and cooking, not one, but 3 side dishes.

' _Too much idle time in my hands_ ' she told herself. But the problem was, that she had been like this for the past two days. Since the uncomfortable confrontation with Johanna Mason, and subsequent deal of learning all she could about sex from the older woman. 

She never thought she would ever heed such brazen advice, as the one Dame Mason gave her, a day and a half ago. But, bath time came, and she managed to shoo Leevy away for a while, she hesitantly brought her slim delicate fingers between her folds, under the pretext of soaping herself thoroughly, and just as Johanna had described, she found the little button of pleasure that made her gasped.

She did a few experimental flicks and swipes, but had to desist as she got interrupted by Leevy before she could figure out how things worked down there. The one thing she actually managed to figure out, was that the whole time she was doing that, and every time she thought about it, it was unequivocally linked with thoughts of Peeta, as a matter of fact, she was feeling downright frustrated with want and need, just by glancing his way.

She had rushed to tell Johanna about her findings that night after dessert, while her Mother and Prim were fanning over a very smug and very pregnant, Annie Odair, who was certainly enjoying the attention of a healer and her apprentice. Johanna had laughed at Katniss' frustrated recount, earning a well placed punt under the table from Katniss' foot, and the disapproving stares of a few of the other guests. 

Johanna, sobered up soon enough, and went straight to give Katniss advice, on what should be her next step. Ever since then, Katniss had been on a endless state of arousal, which was quite uncomfortable, her undergarments where perpetually ruined... She had never known, that this was even possible! But the worst part, was not the new lack of dry underthings, but how flustered she got just by hearing Peeta's voice. She did not have to even be in the same room, to feel chills run down her spine, every time she heard the deep, velvety voice of the man _she_ craved. Bed time was the worse to say the least, to have him lay next to her, at arms reach, but for nothing to happen, not even an accidental brush of fingers against the other. If Johanna was right (which she still doubted), and Peeta wanted _her_ , as much as she wanted _him_ , how was he able to keep his distance? This was torture!

She was not sure, why on earth, did she kept on going back to discuss tactics with Johanna, she wholly blamed her for her new found obsession, because, yes, it was turning into a full blown obsession, where she pictured Peeta's hands trailing down her naked body, doing things to her she did not ever dared imagine. She rubbed her legs together. She hated Johanna fucking Mason for this, but she could not stay away from her new... friend?... Confidant? She had never had girlfriends back home to talk about embarrassing topics like this, and the way, Dame Mason teased her, made her wonder, if that was what it felt to have a mean, loud, crass older sibling. Although, sometimes, She was more like a very tiny, sports coach, she certainly had the language and explicit imagery down, and kept on pushing her _athlete's_ boundaries and tolerance.

Now, if only she could give her any indication, that pursuing this last physical connection to her Master would be wise or not, she would be golden. She noticed Peeta gazing at her, he was appraising her from head to toe, and she could not decide if she liked the attention, or if she preferred him to stop looking from afar. She suddenly, got up from her perch, and walked purposefully to Johanna. 

"Dame Mason, may I have a word?" She asked without inflection, her face said nothing.

Johanna nodded, placing her glass of brandy on the side table, next to where the ladies were lounging. Prim, looked at the two women walk away, with outmost curiosity. Prim really liked Johanna, not just because of the novelty of her being equal to a man in almost every aspect, but for her personality, she had nobody else left in the world she loved, but that did not make her forfeit her life, she was not depressed, or sad, she did not depend on another person to be happy. Prim admired that, it reminded her, of how her sister used to be, before she had fallen for Peeta and gotten soft... She really did not understand love. But, she was observant, Katniss had been happy when they arrived almost a week earlier, but now she looked out of sorts, and she always wanted to discuss things with Dame Mason, who for some reason had taken to call her 'Brainless', and weirdly, Katniss did not have a problem with it. 

"I wonder what they have to talk about so much, that is so secretive?" She said under her breath, staring at the two women at the other side of the room. Johanna was making a face, like she was trying hard to keep from laughing, and Katniss looked like she could kill her if she did laugh.

"They are probably plotting about their hunting trip tomorrow morning" Offered Annie lazily looking on at the two women. "I can not tell if they actually do, enjoy their talks, or what... Their body language is so bizarre some times. Like now... Lady Katniss looks like she wants the earth to split open and swallow her whole, while Dame Mason looks almost annoyed at something Lady Katniss just said... Well, we will never know, if we do not ask, what say you, we approach and invite ourselves into the conversation?" The Baroness asked, with a little glint in her eyes. 

"I do not know if that is such a good idea, my Lady. I do not want to be the recipient of my sister's angry rant" Prim said unhappily. 

"Oh... She would not dare say anything to a pregnant woman's companion! Come, let us intrude!" She said smiling mischievously, pulling Prim up with her, it was a surprisingly swift move, coming from a woman who until now would be content with pretend she needed to be pulled up herself into a standing position, when she did not wanted to get up. 

They did inched their way across the room, until their ears where privy to the hush conversation.

"Honestly Brainless! You should not be so worried about something as insignificant as lack of experience... Nobody had ever been born knowing everything there is to know in the world. Experience will come with practice! And He will be absolutely happy to practice every single day if you give him the option!" She ended with an eye roll and a huff. 

"Is not insignificant! What am I supposed to do if I have to initiate? I have no idea where to even start!" She hissed. 

"You will be fine! Just let him know you are ready and he will..." 

"Ready for what?" Prim asked curiously, Katniss' back got rigidly straight, she froze to her spot, and her throat went dry. Johanna just took a deep breath, and Annie quickly caught up on the subject, and started to try and diffused the awkward situation. 

"As I said before, is more likely they were talking about their upcoming hunting outing, are you not ladies?" She offered with a bright grin. Once Prim was looking away, she mouthed ' _I am sorry_!' To Katniss, who had regained some composure.

"Well, that can not be it, Katniss is a terrific archer, she can not be nervous about not being ready to go hunting, why, she did it all the time back home." Prim mussed softly. 

"Well, Little Duck, the truth is... The truth is that... Umm..." Katniss fished around for a good excuse to explain her nervousness about going hunting.

"She has never hunt with hounds lapping at her ankles, Blondie. Is not the same as going at it alone. Game will be more aware, and she has to be very accurate, if she wants something to stick" explained Johanna seemingly.

"Plus, I have never shoot from a horse's back either! That in on itself will be a new challenge!" Katniss latched on the excuse and exploited  it for all it was worth. 

Prim was not very convinced, but let it go, as her sister seem to have relaxed after giving her the unsatisfactory explanation. 

"Well, I for one, think you will be marvelous at it! Dame Mason is right, you will be alright, and the more you do it, the better you will get, I am sure His Grace will be as helpful easing you into anything new, as he has done with everything else... He really does care about you Katniss!" She said with a bright smile, inadvertently giving Katniss the last boost of courage she needed to go after what he wanted... it was ironic, Prim who could always read people's ulterior motives, for the first time did not realized she had just pushed her sister into fully embrace her status of Concubine. 

Johanna had to turned her face away from the siblings, and cough violently to cover up her laugh, she had tears of merriment after she was done coughing, Prim was looking at her with concern, always the healer in training, asked her if she had choked on her drink or something, Annie was laughing as well, but she was doing a better job at being discreet shucking her laughter at Johanna's discomfort. Soon, the whole room was watching them, and Katniss' face turned beet red. Johanna waved everyone's attention away, and soon after declared herself to tired, and excused herself to her quarters for the night. The Baron and Baroness followed suit, as did Mrs Everdeen, dragging with her a reluctant Primrose.

At last, only Katniss and Peeta remained in the softly lit library. She approached him, slowly, hesitantly. He was still sitting on his plush chair by the fire, still working on his half empty glass of brandy. His eyes were fixed on hers, they were so intense, she felt herself faltered slightly. He changed his sitting position, so she could stand in front if him, between his legs. She let her left hand run through his silky blond hair, he closed his eyes reveling on the sweet gesture, bringing his hands to grasp fistfuls of the fabric of the skirt of her burnt orange velvet dress. He pulled her closer to him, until his head was resting against her middle. She stopped caressing his hair, to snaked both arms around his head. The sighed at the same time, and he chuckled. 

"Ready for bed?" She asked softly, resuming her ministrations. 

"Mmm... I think, I will head to my study for a few minutes. You go ahead and get to bed," he said looking up at her, his chin resting on her stomach. She scowled a little.

"But I want you to come to bed with me!" She whined, he smiled, she never whines, it was cute.

"I will be just a few minutes. I will not be long, I promise!" He said still smiling softly at her, his arms where around her now.

"That is what you always say, and you always stay way past bed time, when I am already asleep! I want you to come to bed with me, so we can have some time alone! It feels like I have not had a proper conversation with you in weeks!" She said annoyed. 

He stood up, still holding on to her, pulling her flushed to him once he was to his full hight. Chuckling softly he said, "If that is what you want, I will come to bed, my Lady. I am here to obey you!" His eyes so bright and happy.

Her hands, that had been playing with his hair, finally fell to his shoulders... She smiled, as she noticed the barely there stubble covering the length of his perfectly carved jaw, she swiped a finger over it, and suddenly, pushed up on her tip-toes, landing a kiss between his jaw and bottom lip, it took him by surprise, so she did it again, this time closer to that bottom lip she so much wanted to taste. He was still to stunned to react, but the third kiss, she planted on his neck, where she nuzzled her face deep into the space where her head fit most naturally, she sighed contently. 

"I really do want us to go to bed together... And... I-I want... I want this," she said shyly, lifting her elbows high, without letting go of his shoulders, to emphasize their current position. 

Peeta froze for a moment, he could not think, he could not breath. And his brain told him to say something, anything. 

"Yes" he choked out. And pulled her with him out of the library, up the stairs, and into their chamber.

He excused himself into the washing room, just to give her some privacy to change into her nightclothes. When he came back, he stumbled, his knees almost gave out, there she was, wearing a very thin shift he did not remembered her having, she had forgo her underclothes, he could see it, although the fabric of the shift was not as see-through like the one she had donned her first night there, he could still make out her silhouette under it.   

She smiled at him, shyly, prettily, 'What the hell is she trying to do, kill me?'. She walked up to him, he was rooted to the floor, eyes unblinking, lips parted, breathing raggedly. She could not bring her eyes away from his face, she was determined to take this as far as she could take it.

She was finally right in front of him; she slowly took his hand on hers, and tugged, he numbly followed her to their bed, where he climbed in after her. Then she turned onto him, bringing her chest to rest against his, he could feel her breast through their clothing. This was too much, he was fully erect and she would noticed it if she kept this up, he had to do something to distance himself. 

He started to pull away, but she pinned him still with her sparkling grey eyes. He gets it. The hint of what she wanted, the hidden message. He will not budge, he can not, he promised Himself he would not, he promised _her_... He even promised Prim! Granted, he promised Prim he would not ask, and would _keep it in his pants unless she offered_ , and this was an unspoken offer... But he promised. Damned Johanna! She was right! 

He took her face in both his hands, and kissed her sweetly on the forehead. Then spoke so soft against her skin, she has hoping she had heard wrong.

"It is time to sleep my dear. You need your rest." He lowered her unto the pillows, and she looked so disappointed, he cursed himself. "I will hold you until you find sleep. And in the morning, I will hold you tight once more." He promised softly. She only nodded. 

He wrapped himself around her, as if for dear life; she released a stuttering breath, and then turned in his embrace, to face him, she place her hands on either side of his face, and caress along his jaw, she then nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, and said, this time fully awake,

"She should always sleep like this." She then chanced a kiss to his cheek, "I love your stubble." then she found her place right on his chest, where she felt most at home. _He_ was her home.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sieben= German for Seven


	11. Hunting Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters of The Hunger Games, only the plot.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you sooo much to my newly acquired Beta: abk1973, I've already said this, but thank you for reading and correcting so fast! You are awesome!!! 
> 
> Disclaimer #2: Cashmere smut at the end.

"Hold your arrow steady..." She heard the deep male voice whispered in her ear, ever so softly, "Pull it back slowly, until your fingers touch your cheek lightly." He made sure she had done as he had instructed her, once satisfied, he went back to cover her tiny hand with his big one, holding the bow too big for her.

"Take a deep breath. Steady. Aim, never take your eyes off your target, there is no need to rush the shot... Do you see the squirrel, Katniss?" He said in the same soft tone. She nodded, because she did not trust her voice would be as quiet as his was.

"Good! Remember what I said... Breath in, aim, release your breath with your shot... Shoot straight! You think you can do it?" She nodded again eagerly. He let go of her hands. "Is all yours baby girl! Do it!"

The arrow took flight, piercing the small critter straight in the eye, just like his always did. She turned around ecstatic! She hugged him and he was laughing, "That's my Little hunter! I knew you would do great!... Now, one more thing before I go," he looked her in the eye, "Today, do not be afraid of the wild animals, they are more afraid of you, than you are of them, and you have a brand new bow waiting for you when you leave me... shoot straight into the eye... And when he finally reaches you, do not let his doubt win, Katniss. Kiss him!"

Katniss was confused, "Kiss him? What? Why should I kiss a wild animal?" Her voice sounded all wrong, she was supposed to be 10 years old, not 18.

"Not the animal..." He laughed, and she marveled at the sound of it, "The one you love, sweetheart; kiss, the one you love..." He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Remember, Katniss: Aim, breathe, shoot!"

Then, the man disappeared into thin air, leaving her alone, confused and scared. She screamed,

"FATHER!!!"

She started thrashing frantically, she was trapped under some restraints on a bed, she was not in the forest anymore. She tried to sit up, but could not do it, she was crying and screaming for her father to come back, then she heard his voice, her restraints tighten around her... She felt his warm breath on her ear, he was saying something, she did not know what, but she calmed down. She realized she was not being restrained, but being embraced by his strong arms.

She tried to inhale his scent deeply, to make sure it was really him, then she turned to face him, they must have shifted during slumber. Once she saw his face, she touched it tenderly, making sure he was real, with her. Finally she deflated against his chest.

His hands were tangled in her loose braid, he was making soothing noises, telling her she was safe, he was there, he would never leave her... It was that specific statement that made her spiral down into another bout of crying, for, she would be taken away from him someday, this little arrangement of theirs was not permanent. Although, she would be his forever, if they indeed took that step, he most certainly never will belong to her, she will only have him for her own for limited time, and he was so stubbornly wasting it.

"Peeta... Peeta..." She cried softly on his chest.

"Shhh... It was just a dream, you are awake now, you do not have to be afraid" he whispered, caressing her head with one hand, and rubbing her arm up and down with the other one.

"It was not a bad dream... I saw my Father, he was teaching me how to hunt squirrels... But then he was gone, and I was so confused... So scared" She whimpered softly onto his chest.

"I am so sorry sweetie, I really am."

She had calmed down some again, but she needed a different kind of comfort, so she stretched until her face was leveled with his, then nuzzled his cheek, her hands running from his hair to his neck and back, she was not sure what she wanted to touch the most. He allowed her, he understood the need for human contact, he used to feel like that after he was left orphaned.

But, things started to heat up with her, and touching his face was not enough. Her lips made contact with his skin, she kissed his face, his stubble, his neck, and then instinctively her tight-lip kisses turned into open mouthed ones; he knew he should stop her, he knew if he let her continue, this would get out of hand, but he could not bring himself to do anything, not until she stopped, and leaned her head back so they could see each other eye to eye.

Her eyes had a beautiful dark grey tint to them, like melting steel. "Kiss me Peeta..." She begged.

"Katniss..." He breathed out, regretting it already.

"Please..." Her eyes were filling up with tears again. He could not deny her this one comfort she needed.

He took a shaky breath, framed her face with both his hands, looking into those pleading sad eyes. Then at her quivering lips, he had dreamed about kissing those lips a million times. This was never how it happened in his dreams, but it was his luck, this would not be a romantic gesture, but a comforting one.

He lowered his lips slowly to hers... And it was but a swift brush of the lips, it was sweet and innocent. But it was fleeting. It was over before it started. He did not trust himself in doing this, so it was best, to keep it chaste and quick.

Her eyes were closed, and she had a very slight smile on her lips... Those lips, belong to him now, he was the first to touch them, despite it had just being a light peck. He so wished he would be the only one to ever kiss them again.

She slowly opened her eyes, she involuntarily licked her lower lip, ever so slowly. Like she was savoring the barely there kiss. She gave him a watery smile, and hugged him tight. There were no more words shared in the intimacy of their bed, just chaste caresses, until it was time to get on with their day.

 

==================

 

"Hubba-hubba! Love the outfit Brainless!" Johanna gushed in a most un-characteristically girlie way.

"Thank you! Cinna surely is a genius!" Katniss answered smiling.

"I say! It certainly is a very interesting take in modern wear!" added Annie, holding Katniss' hand prompting her to twirl for them. "Look at this airy material! And the boots are adorable! Almost a pity they are expected to get muddy!" She said frowning. "I wonder if the Baron would allow me a visit to Cinna after the babe comes? This seems like comfortable motherhood wear... Imagine how easily you can run after an energetic toddler in this clothing!" She was seriously thinking about it, while rubbing the fabrics together between her forefinger and thumb.

"Or breast feed!" Offered Mrs. Everdeen idly. "As most women clothing closes at the back or the side, a front opening would be most convenient at the time of infant feedings!" She said more to Annie than the other women.

"I still do not approve of the britches! But I guess they do look tasteful and appropriate for the task."

said Lady Trinket haughtily. Katniss just rolled her eyes. She was sure the only reason Effie disapproved, was out of stubbornness, the clothes were magnificent.

Prim arrived at the breakfast table at last, she had a grin plastered on her face, and Katniss wanted to know, what was the source of her little sister's good mood, so she asked, the answer both surprised her and disturbed her. "I just came from the kitchens! I asked Mr. Thom to meet before breakfast!" She smiled broadly.

"Thom? Why would you want to see Thom?" Katniss asked suspiciously. Prim did a double take, her smile erased from her features. "Oh... uh, Checking on Buttercup's stitches, of course" She said dismissively, "He is doing so much better! He was so playful this morning! He looks good enough, that he will no longer need bandages. And I think I can remove his stitches next week!" She said animatedly, taking a seat next to her mother, and unfolding her cloth napkin. "By the way, French Toast!!!" She beamed at the rest of the ladies at the table, "You are very welcome everyone! It was my idea!"

"Oh goody!" Annie clapped, "I was craving something other than eggs and toasted bread!"

"Certainly!" Prim agreed.

Johanna rolled her eyes, "You are aware that French Toast is plain bread that you coat in eggs before toasting it, right?" Her voice condescending.

"Of course I am aware! But this toast gets sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, so it is actually not the same!" Annie explained stubbornly, like it was the most logical thing in the world.

Johanna just 'Tsk’ed' and shook her head.

"Where are the men?" Asked Prim, just noticing for the first time the lack of male voices.

"Skipped the meal... Said they needed to go see to the dogs and horses" informed Johanna between sips of her cup of breakfast tea.

"Mmm" accepted Prim, while copying Dame Mason.

Soon their food was brought forth, and they all ate in between comments and small laughs, Katniss thought to herself, ' _This is so pleasant, I wish this could be our lives always!'_

After a while, Dame Mason stood up, "Mother, Blondie, Effs, Preggers! It is time for me and Brainless here, to go meet our hunting party! See you all later, ladies!" She smiled broadly at the table. Effie gave her a very disapproving glance, and did not acknowledge her at all. The rest of the women did, especially Prim, who thought Johanna could do no wrong, ever!

Katniss stood up, as well, and excused herself from the table in an Effie approved manner, and joined Johanna as she was leaving the room.

 

==================

 

They reunited with Finnick, Haymitch, Thom, another two attendants, and a very pleased looking Peeta. He had a goofy grin on his face, his eyes fixed on the raven haired maiden, with the soft smile. He walked to meet her, and grasped her gloved hand, and placed a kiss on the top of it.

"You look radiant!" He breathed out. Katniss flushed prettily, smiling shyly at him.

"You like the end product, Your Grace?" She asked, Cinna had provided her with a tight fitting short fur jacket, it was supposed to stave off the cold while allowing her freedom of movement.

"Oh, yes! I like it very much, my lady. You are always beautiful, but right now... There are no words to describe you!" He said with a breathy laugh and so much longing in his eyes, it was a wonder she did not read it.

"Thank you, my Lord... You-you are too generous..." She said faintly. On impulse, he kissed her cheek, and she smiled.

The rest of the people in the hunting party tried their best to look away, and made themselves scarce. This was clearly a very private moment between two lovers... or something of the sort.

Haymitch, could not take too much of that lovey-dovey display, so he cleared his throat loudly, and made a comment about wasting sun light and not enough white liquor to blind himself.

So, Peeta, went to his mount, and pulled Katniss' bow and quiver. The rest of them were using hunting rifles, except for Johanna who was using her trusty ax. Katniss was not used to hunting this way. For her, stealth was key, but she reasoned, hunting for sport and hunting for survival were two very different types of hunting and they did not have to share the same rules. She was just happy to be out in the Forest, at Peeta's side.

Katniss frowned, counting her arrows... Eight. "Why so few arrows, my Lord?" She asked dissatisfied.

"We will only be out for a couple of hours, my lady. No need for a full quiver. Plus I am unsure, if you will be able to find any unsuspecting game with the hounds loose making noise and the rest of us following suit." He said seriously. "I hope you can still enjoy our outing. I promise we will do this again, more close to your method" he told her looking straight in her eyes, conveying how serious he was.

She nodded, and let him help her onto her horse.

Horse riding was another new thing for her, she had done it a few times since arriving at Winter Home, but she was far from confident. She loved grooming the majestic animals, but mounting them was a whole other thing. She was extremely nervous, and Peeta could tell, so he asked her if she was going to be alright, or if she preferred to share his horse; she declined politely, saying she needed to learn on her own.

Soon they were on their way. The ride into the woods was chaotic to say the least, the dogs were excited and very loud, the horses were too fast, and the human companions laughed and talked the whole time, Katniss wondered how they would find anything stupid enough to stay still with all this noise going on. She tried to remember this was supposed to be fun, this was for sport, they could eat what they catch, but if they did not caught anything, it would be fine, just the same.

Peeta, ever sensing her discomfort, trailed back to ride next to her. "Are you enjoying yourself, ma'am?" He asked with a knowing expression on his face.

She half smiled, "It is... different, Sir. Do not worry yourself, my Lord... I will be alright; it just will take some getting used to. I am just glad to be along with you and our guests." She told him sincerely.

"You are the most amazing maid in the whole of Panem! I hope you know that, my lady. Thank you for being so accommodating!" He responded with a sweet smile, and her heart melted a little.

"No, my Lord. It is nothing, as long as you are happy, I am happy. And I will learn how to hunt with you, your way!" This she said as a promise. He smiled, and extended his arm to grasp her hand and squeeze it for a moment.

Johanna, had not missed the exchanged, neither had Finnick. They looked at each other, Finnick saw her eyes shine with mischief, and braced himself for whatever crazy idea she was about to share with him.

"What do you think, if we lose the love birds?" She whispered.

"I think it a bad idea!" He retorted.

Disliking his answer, she moved on to Haymitch. "How about you Old Man, should we leave the happy couple behind?" Haymitch just looked at them over his shoulder, and shrugged.

"It will be easier if we just ask them" he responded dryly. She huffed, and reluctantly agreed.

So she made her horse, turn around to face her friends, and spoke loudly. "Your Grace, my Lady... will it be acceptable for you, if we separate our group, during the hunt? In that way the dogs and horses would not disturb the Lady's game..." She kept a straight face the whole time, both Peeta and Katniss knew her motives quite well.

"It is up to my Lady" Peeta responded, glancing Katniss' way. "We will do as you please, ma'am!"

Katniss looked at Haymitch and Finnick, neither of them betrayed their actual thoughts in the matter. She looked at Thom next, as always, he smiled at her, and only nodded slightly. Johanna in the other hand, almost screamed at her with her stare.

So she turned to look at Peeta, "If it is alright with you, my Lord, I would rather forage silently... I would still keep the mounts, but I would love to try to practice my aim with real targets instead of the fake ones at the shooting ranged." She bit her lip, expectantly. She really wanted to hunt.

"Then, we shall do as you please. Would you like to go at it alone, or would you prefer company?" He asked, all business like, this was a transaction.

"Umm... Would you mind staying with me, Sir?" She asked shyly, eyes downcast.

"I will not mind time spent next to you, my lady. Never!" He said seriously. Then he faced the rest of the group. "Will this be agreeable to all? The Lady Katniss and myself will separate to hunt with bow and arrows, while the rest of you follow our usual trail?" He asked, once again as a transaction.

They all assented to the new arrangement. "So, it is done! We will meet back here in an hour. Then we will return to the house." He said, they all divvied up the water and other supplies, and parted ways.

A minute or so after they separated, Finnick spoke up. "I dearly hope, this does not turn into a terrible mistake. I have a bad feeling about all this..."

"Oh, come off it, Fin! You are always such a downer! They will be fine!" Johanna interjected.

"His Grace knows these woods like the back of his hand, my Lord. I am sure he will keep them both safe!" Thom assured, but he was a little uneasy all the same. Haymitch only grunted.

"They better do something! Is all I am saying!" He said after a while, and took a swig of his faithful flask.

 

===============

 

She was carefully looking around. This side of the wood was very quiet, just like she had dreamed  it to be. Her arrow at the ready; suddenly she went very still, and Peeta followed suit. Her posture had adjusted to account for the horse under her, she had already misfired twice, completely losing one of her eight arrows, which had made her sullen for a while. At the moment, she had seen something he had not; she was taking her time, breathing in and out.

Finally, her arrow flew... she shot the squirrel, just like her Father had taught her. She quickly got down from her horse, and ran to retrieve the critter; she pulled it up by the tail with glee, and showed it to Peeta, proudly. He was both, revolted at her choice of food source, and astonished by her accuracy.

"Wow! Those are some shooting skills! Right through the eye! The pelt was left unharmed! And such a small animal as well!" He gushed, leaving his mount as well, taking the rodent from her to examine it.

"You sound surprised!" She said smirking at him.

"I am surprised! I have seen your ability in the range, but this is something else!" He said holding the squirrel up, with the arrow still stuck in its socket.

She laughed, a full belly laugh, he joined her, their horses neighed loudly. She was so carefree, laughing, joking, talking and not caring to disguise her step, she did not hear the beast's rush of hooves barging in on them, breaking branches, disturbing shrubs.

The horses, got spooked and ran off, taking Peeta's rifle and Katniss' fur jacket, with them. The wild boar charged at him first. He managed to jump out of its way, just in time, barely missing his tusk. Unfortunately, the boar managed to knock the man over, and was getting ready to charge again, Katniss took aim and shot, her arrow sticking it to the tough skin on the boar's hide, only achieving to infuriate the it further.

It turned around and charged at her instead, she fired again, but missed the fast moving, angry mass approaching her. She made a mental count of the ammunition she had left: four arrows.

"Katniss run!" Peeta yelled frantically, still trying to regain his footing. It took her a second to gather herself, and took off running in the opposite direction. She was desperately searching for a tree to climb. But she had not found a single tree with low branches, so she kept on running, until she got to a scraggly wimp of a tree, with very slim limbs, she miscalculated her newly acquired body mass, she had put on weight since she moved to Winter Home, as she was not scrapping for food anymore, she was still very slender, but she had filled up in the past two and a half months.

She started climbing, branch, after branch, after branch, until they snapped under her weight. She could not hold on. She fell helplessly onto the ground, right in front of the threat. She did not lose time, although her ribs burned, from where the last branch had caught her, she was winded, but the adrenaline pumped plenty and fast through her body. She turned around, notched another arrow to her bow, she had a split second to shoot, the arrow hitting the boar on his chest, only delaying the beast momentarily, just long enough to notch another arrow into place... Two arrows left... she heard Peeta running through the undergrowth, screaming her name in panic, but the boar heard the disturbance too. 

Peeta reached them, and she saw with horror, how he picked up rock after rock, and threw them at the enraged animal, effectively attracting its attention to himself. It was her turn to scream his name, and beg him to run to safety. In the confusion and scuffle, right before he bolted, her arrow was lost to her. She scrambled to get another one. Peeta was not moving fast enough, she shot the boar on the leg, and that made it halt and huffed and turned around to face her again.

Peeta turned around as well, he was so scared for her, he charged at the animal. But the boar was already in motion and Katniss was only a few feet away from it.

" _Remember, Katniss: aim, breathe, shoot!"_ Her Father's words from her dream came to her unbidden.

In that moment, time slowed down. She rid her mind of everything outside her and her prey. She allowed, the memory of her Father to fill her with peace, she was one with nature. Time stopped for her then. She took a look at her last arrow, already set in place. She took aim... sight trained in the small target... She took a deep, deep breath, and released it slowly, the tips of her fingers gracing the soft skin of her cheek... The arrow flew free.

Time resumed its normal pace. The beast was running full speed at her... Bullseye! Or Boar's eye to be more accurate!

Peeta scream her name like it had been forcibly ripped from the depth of his very soul. His legs gave away, and his body sank heavily onto the hard, frozen ground, he was uncontrollably sobbing, pulling his hair, calling her name pitifully. Then he saw it fall, and slide all the way to her feet. The enraged Boar was no more.

He could not believe his eyes, there she stood... Unharmed... Her perfect archer stance still intact, she had not lowered her bow, nor the hand that had released the fatal shot. She was breathing heavily, but she was breathing. She saw him, crawling his way to her, and that made her come back to earth.

"PEETA!" She cried out loud, she ran to him, tripping over her kill.

She was on the ground, trying to get up, when she felt his arms encased her. He had picked them both up from the cold unyielding ground, with some effort. He brought his hands up to touch her face, arms, stomach, legs, face once more, hair, shoulders... He needed to make sure she was whole and safe.

He was hugging her, breathing her in, he crushed her against his chest, then with both his hands on her face again, pushed her away to look in her eyes.

"I thought I had lost you to that beast!" He whimpered, and she could not take the almost crazed way his eyes searched her for possible hidden injuries, the fear that his gaze emanated.

"I seem to recall, you desired a roasted pig, for the Yule Festival... Is roasted boar, an acceptable substitution?" She asked weakly, a feeble attempt to lighten a very emotionally charged moment.

He gave a strangled chuckle, "I cannot lose you... You are all I care about!" His face was coated in sweat, and dirt, and tears, and snot. Her's was no different.

 _"Do not let his doubt win, Katniss. Kiss him. Kiss the one you love..."_ Her Father's voice resonated in her head once more, she did not have time to waste refuting the notion.

"You won't lose me Peeta... Never... I am yours!" She said softly, between silent tears.

"Katniss..." He said weakly, but she leaned in, brushing her lips to his, ever so softly. It was too little for him, though.

It was like an animalistic instinct, had awaken in him. He grabbed her face with both hands, trapping her in place, and mashed his lips against hers. The force of the kiss startled her for a moment, but, she surrendered control to him, taking pleasure in the exquisite sensations he was eliciting from the pit of her belly.

His face slanted, and his lips were moving, demanding, bruising, and passionate. She moaned, she had never felt like this before, an all-consuming hunger had been released in the depths of her being, and she could not understand what was happening to her body. All she knew, was that there was a burning heat she could not quench, she instinctively knew, he was the only one who could calm the burning. All she knew was that right this moment, right now, the only thing that existed in the world was him and his lips, and she would be damned if she stop kissing him any time soon.

He pulled her closer to his body... She felt so real, so good, so warm. He did not know how they got there, but suddenly, he had her pressed against a tree. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, and the noises she made, clouded his senses, all he knew was that he would kiss every inch of her he could reach, and then some.

His tongue, pried her mouth open, this was so new to her, she gave all control up to him, and he was amazing. He tasted sweet, like cinnamon and sugar. She could not have enough of him. She was finally aware of their position, leaning against a tree, with his body covering hers, one of his hands fisted on the base of her braid, the other one on the small of her back. Her own hands on his hair and nape. This had to be heaven.

His greed for her skin was insatiable, after exploring every inch of her mouth, he was ready to explore the rest of her, so he trailed kisses along her jaw, down her throat, she threw her head back on instinct, creating for him a clear path, down her neck, until he reached the lace of her shirt-collar.

Without thinking about his actions, he unbuttoned her shirt, one, two, three, four buttons, his lips never leaving her delicate skin, his hands inside the confines of her shirt on her neck and shoulders. He was licking her, sucking her, nibbling here and there. She was moaning and gasping, and her legs gave out, he picked her up, and her legs wrapped around his middle, he pushed her farther into the bark of the tree.

Somehow her shirt was three quarters undone, his hands clasped around her ribcage, the satin feel of her camisole so soft under his fingers, he brushed one thumb against the underside of her breast, her breath hitched, no one had ever touched her breasts before, she wanted his hands there, now!

He was busy kissing her everywhere from her lips to her collarbone, so she grabbed the one hand of his she could pry away from her body, and without more preamble, placed it fully on her breast; he did not retrieve it, he actually squeezed gently, and she moaned loudly, why did she ever want to keep away from him, she did not know.

Her noises were driving him insane, he needed her heat, so without breaking contact he rearranged himself, lowering her just a little, until he had her pinned with his hardness against her core. She gasped, her eyes rolled into her skull, her spine arched against the unyielding tree, and moaned his name, neither recognized the tone of her voice, but it was her voice no doubt.

He had slipped part of her shirt and camisole down her arm, exposing her shoulder and top of her breast, bare to him, he was laving her skin desperately, he started grinding his hips on her, and she kept begging pitifully for more. A thought popped in his common-sense-deprived brain: ' _Why did I insist she wear these stupid trousers? Such an impediment when all I want is to take her right against this tree!_ '

He immediately stopped his movements. "No!" He forced out, yanking himself away from her body, her feet hitting the ground unsteadily, she fell against the tree, as her legs were a little wobbly. He looked at her state, horror stricken, and rushed to fix her shirt for her. She was still dazed, her nails digging into the bark behind her, confused, and a little hurt. She did not understand what had happened, ' _Did she do something wrong?_ '.

"No what?" She asked, not recognizing her husky voice.

"No... I won't take you against a goddamned tree!" He yelled. She shrunk in place... Then she asked meekly, not meeting his eyes,

"Will you rather do it back in our bed?" It was a whisper, she sounded so small.

"NO!" He yelled frantically, still buttoning her shirt for her, "I will not do that, I promised you... I almost broke my promise like the no-good-piece-of-shit that I am!" He said angrily, she faltered, and sank toward the ground a little. "I am not going to force myself upon you, Katniss. You do not deserve to be treated that way, not by me, not by any man! I am so sorry, I am sorry, I am so very sorry!" He started chanting it, while working her clothing back to standard.

"But... I want you, Peeta..." She sobbed. "I want you to take me, to claim me as yours... Right here, right now..." She sank a little deeper. He looked at her his expression blank of emotion.

"No, Katniss... You do not want that, and more importantly you do not deserve to be treated like that. I will not have you make this mistake. I will not cause you regret. I could not live with myself if I did." He said lowly, crouching in front of her, she was now with her bottom on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs, her face buried on her knees, crying silently. Her heart aching unbearably.

He tried to touch her elbow, but she yanked herself away from his grasp. She was shaking all over.

"What can I do, to make you desire me?" She whispered, his lips opened, then closed again into a thin line.

He reached for her again, but stayed his hand, hovering over her head. He felt like the worst excuse for a human being, he did not know what to say to her, to let her know, it was not that he did not desired her... he craved her like he had never craved anything in his life, but he was unwilling to destroy her reputation and her future. He loved her too much for that.

Just then, the noises of a hound, horses and human voices, broke the otherwise silent bubble they had been in since the falling of the boar. He heard Finnick called to him, then the booming voice of the Earl, and then Dame Mason's calling for Katniss.

Peeta reached for her again, he summoned a soothing tone, he did not possess at the moment, he had to bring her back from this state before their company reached them, he knew the dog would lead them here soon enough. "Katniss, our friends are near. Come now, let me wipe your face clean, so we can meet them, and explain about the boar's attack together... Katniss, please..." He begged, she was tightly rolled into a ball, shaking and rocking in place, she had effectively shut him out by now, he could not coaxed her out of her clamped up position, nor to speak to him.

When the calls got closer, he stood up, and called back, guiding their party back to them. He needed to bring this catatonic Katniss back home. After a few more calls back and forth, he kneeled back in front of her. Her face was now resting on its side, silent tears tracking down her pretty features. He could not believe he was the cause of her distress... Not the boar that almost impaled them... Him! He was worse than he thought himself to be.

He tried to caress her cheek, but it was like his fingertips had burned her, she recoiled, and buried her face into her arms and knees again, and the rocking and shaking resumed. He almost cried. His chest constricted painfully, watching her reaction to his touch. He made this!

"Peeta!" He heard the thud of feet hitting the ground; Finnick's feet to be exact. A cold snout pressed to his hand, and a swat from a wagging tail, greeted him.

"Peeta my friend! Are you alright?" He asked frantically, he stopped for a moment, sidestepping the dead monster next to his friends. "We were starting to worry about you both, as the hour accorded for us to reconvene had come and gone, then your horses ran past us..." He stopped at the sight of Katniss, then he rushed to her, concerned evident as he spoke to them, "Is my Lady hurt?"

Before an answer could be formulated, Johanna was upon them followed closely by Haymitch. She jumped off of her mount so fast it was a wonder she did not break her ankles upon landing. She ran towards Katniss.

"What happened to her? Why is she like this? Is she hurt? Is she in pain?" She asked a mile a second. Upon hearing Johanna's voice, Katniss' head shoot up, and her tears came back full force, before Dame Mason was even close to them, Katniss had extended both her arms to her, a whimper that sounded like "Johanna" left her quivering lips, Peeta tried to caress her hair again, but she shook him off. Johanna barreled between the men until Katniss' shaking form was securely wrapped in her arms, she shot a questioning look in Peeta's direction, he just shook his head sadly at her.

"Did you shoot that boar Sweetheart? That is some nice skills you have there!" Came Haymitch's gravelly voice, he was probably trying to calm everybody down.

Katniss nodded shyly against Johanna's shoulder. Peeta, finally explained the dead boar to the new comers, just as Thom was arriving with a couple of horses laden with blankets and jugs of hot tea.

"Lady Katniss had done a great job shooting a squirrel, right through the eye. I was praising her accuracy, and we most have disturbed the beast, for not a minute later, it came charging at us, we got separated during the attack. And my Lady, managed a couple of shots into the brute before it charged her..." He paused, and took a deep breath, "Our horses had run off, after the boar trampled in, my rifle and supplies where still attached to the mount. Our only weapon was the bow and arrows, my lady still carried. She did marvelous work of them. She finally slew the boar in her usual fashion: one arrow to the eye..." He hesitated, his eyes brimmed with tears. He could not continue the next part of the story. It was just between him and his Lady, so he informed them she was probably beaten up by that fall from the tree.

"Very well, my Lady... Let us see if you can stand on your feet, so we can sit you atop that pretty horse, Mr. Thom has brought specially for you," said Johanna in a very uncharacteristic soft voice.

She pulled the younger maid up, but her legs were still shaky. "Your Grace, would you be so kind to help the Lady Katniss heave herself up unto her mount?" Johanna was not done asking, when Katniss gave a terrified yelp, shaking her head in a negative motion.

"I-I-I can do it myself, ma'am. I do not need assistance..." Her voice was so shaky, so full of sadness, everyone furrowed their brows in unison. This was not like Katniss at all, Johanna had a hard mask on, when her eyes met Peeta's... ' _What did you do?_ ' She mouthed accusingly, was it not just a few hours ago, they were so sickly sweet with each other? Once again, all Peeta did, was shake his head sadly, full of regret.

The hike home was miserable. No one spoke. Thom had loaded the dead boar unto a spare horse. Johanna had wrapped a blanket around Katniss so tightly she had to undo it to be able to free her hand to take the reins.

Once they approached the house, they could see a few people gathered at the main doors. Prim ran towards the group and her big blue eyes searched every hunter that passed her, until she saw her sister, still wrapped in her blanket, eyes red-rimmed, face dirty.

"Pray! Tell me what has occurred?" She demanded to no one in particular. "What has befallen the Lady Katniss and... Your Grace? You look terrible as well my Lord!" She squealed out.

Mrs. Everdeen and Effie had run to meet the group as well, closely followed by Thresh and Annie. They all had worried faces. Finnick started telling everyone about the boar attack, eliciting gasps from the women around them, Thresh had called a few more men to help everybody dismount and take the horses away.

Mrs. Everdeen did a quick visual check on her eldest daughter, before approaching the Duke, to do the same. He waved her off, saying that he only had a few scrapes here and there, and that the Lady Katniss was in more need to be looked after. One glance at Katniss, and she was her old self, proud in stance, stoic in demeanor. He was sure it was all for her Mother and sister's benefit. She did not resist her mother when she ushered her away, to bathe and for a more thorough check up no doubt. He told Prim about the tree fall, right before she took her leave after her family.

Peeta, excused himself. He announced Thresh, Thom and Lady Trinket, to be in charge of the household for the rest of the day, and left his friends standing in the middle if the courtyard confused and speechless.

Johanna would not have it, she had started to walk on his wake, rage building in her stare, but Haymitch grabbed her arm, and told her, to give him some space. He would come to them when he was ready. She reluctantly agreed, mumbling to herself something Haymitch could not quite decipher. Not that he cared much, either way.

 

=================

 

He had been locked up in his study since their arrival. He had drunk all the liquor he had in the study. He had fallen asleep on his desk, and was woken up by the insistent pounding on the door. He looked up at his clock, it was past supper time. ' _How did he managed to sleep through it?_ '. The door pounded again, he stood up from his desk, dizzy, dried drool on the corner of his mouth, with a raging head ache. He felt like hell, and surely looked it as well.

He finally dragged himself to the door and reluctantly opened it slowly.

There she stood, in front of him, carrying a covered tray, puffy eyed, but cleaned and put together... as beautiful as always. He gripped the door knob with such force, his knuckles where turning white, he shoved his other hand inside his pocket. He could not risk a free hand grabbing her and pulling her inside the study. He did not know that he would be able to control himself, not under the influence of alcohol.

" _ **Come to finish me off, Sweetheart?**_ " He slurred, leaning on the door frame. "You will not do much damage without that bow of yours..." He hiccupped then, and as drunk people do, he laughed incoherently.

"I came to bring you some food my Lord, I was informed you had locked yourself in this room after our hunting trip, and I got concer..." She did not finished, for then he saw a glint; a glint that belonged to a solid gold brooch pinned to her dress, right over her heart.

He felt a flow of fury run through his veins... In one move, he released the door knob, and gripped her upper arm instead, pulling her forcefully into the light of his study, where he could see better the offending accessory. His other hand was freed from his pocket a second later, he grabbed the other arm and shook her,

"Where did you get that brooch?" He yelled, "Did Cashmere give it to you? Did she tell you to wear it? Speak, damn it!"

She had lost her hold on the tray; platters of fruit, meats, rice and bread rolls laid shattered on the floor, a goblet spinning next to it, spilling red wine all over the carpet.

"It is mine! Let go of me..." She cried out, "you are hurting me!" She was trying to yank herself out of his death grip.

"Tell me the truth, Katniss... Where did you fucking get it?" He had a crazed look in his eyes.

"It is a family heirloom, it has been in my family for generations... It is mine... Let go of me... Please!" She begged, tears staining her pretty face.

"Do not lie to me! Not you!" He shouted angrily, a rush of feet could be heard some ways away.

"I am not lying... Please... Stop, do not do this, you are drunk..." She was crying so hard her voice broke between sobs.

"Let her go!" Somebody slammed against the enraged Duke, knocking him away from Katniss, she fell on her knees, somebody else picked her up, and was talking soothingly into her face. Peeta tried to get up, but Haymitch pushed him down again,

"Stay down boy! You will not get to touch her again! Not tonight!" He spoke with such authority, Peeta just slumped there in obedience, but he could not stop his words from coming.

"Make her tell me where did she get that brooch... Make her tell you if she stole it, or if that fucking Cashmere gave it to her to taunt me!" He yelled.

Haymitch turned to him, he had dark grey aging eyes, that usually were sparkly with mischief, but right now, they were completely scary. "It is hers! Now shut the fuck up, before I make you! You get me?"

Peeta looked defiantly into the older man's eyes, but did not utter one more word.

"Effie, take the girl to her room... Do not let her mother see her in that state. Then bring little Sunshine here, it is time we all have a chat!"

 

================

 

Cashmere was moaning loudly, like a dying cat.

Cato's arm snaked around her body, with his hand kneading her breast hard. He was leaning over her back, and brought his mouth to her ear and said in a purring voice,

"Now my sweet, tell us again, what was it you did to Lady Glimmer this morning with that beautiful tongue of yours... I am sure, Lord Marvel will enjoy the tale greatly, he can take another nice memory of his Fiancée when he returns home."

She could not think straight, having two men pumping in and out of her at the same time. This was a new thing for her. She had never been in this position, and she felt betrayed by Cato, as much as she felt humiliated by the King.

Lord Marvel had showed up in the Capitol unannounced, to visit his new fiancée, who he had not seen for over month and a half. The King was displeased to say the least, but decided to placate the young man, and he offered him the best the Capitol could provide: Her Grace, Cashmere Mellark, Duchess of Merch... If only i n name... She was now painfully aware, what she was exactly to the Royal House of Snow... A very high end, very expensive whore. A good one at that.

She at first thought, that Cato would put up a fight, he would certainly refuse to have another man touch her, like the King had. But, not Cato and his sick fetish. She could see him get aroused in anticipation, in front of the whole room; he went as far as to ask to observe, if Lord Marvel would agree. She was horrified, when Marvel acquiesced, then was worse, he actually invited his host into the fun, saying he would be honored to 'share the experience' with his Highness.

Thus, she found herself between two men, thrusting with force into her, but she felt more betrayed by her own body.

She could not believe how much pleasure she was feeling, how enticing this rough sex was to her, how much she enjoyed the feeling of having all her orifices filled, this had happened twice already in two days.

The men would not take turns, preferring to do it all at once, and she hated how fast and wet she got upon hearing them say it.

Cato was taking her from behind while Marvel was on his back, pushing up into her. She obeyed Cato's command, and started telling them how she had woken Glimmer up, by putting her mouth on her sweet sex, and sucking with all her might, how she had swirled her tongue around her clit, making her cry and thrash and arch her back.

Marvel was having trouble keeping from exploding into her. "I wish I could see you two together, I would fuck you both until your bones burn with exhaustion" he gritted with effort.

"Why wait... You can fuck her right now my Lord, she will do whatever you want, just for a few jewels!" Cato laughed.

Cashmere felt bile rise to her throat, but her desire was greater. She wanted to come so bad. She begged them. They obliged, both touching her where she wanted to be touched. But she did not come until Marvel did, and she felt his seed spilling out of her, then Cato's. She really was a whore. Her body loved Cato's perverted sex.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, 'The Hunger Games' quotes in Italics/bold... Also internal thoughts for each character in italics, but I assume you figured that out by now ;)
> 
> Love to read your comments!!!


	12. Rules to Guide Us By

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own recognizable characters or places from The Hunger Games series. 
> 
> Let me start by apologizing to all of you who, deemed 'Drunk Peeta' OOC... I will expand on my motives to write him so, at the end of the chapter. Thanks for sticking with me... I hope you get satisfaction from his comeuppance, nonetheless.

_"My Lady Mason! Please accept my most sincere condolences. Your Father and Mother were great pillars in our community, your brothers were brilliant young boys! They will be sorely missed!" Another wheezy voice, from another nobleman who did not really care. She had lost count of how many of their hands had she shaken already, how many times had she heard the same hollow words, how many pitying stares she had received that day. All she knew, was that she felt like the world was closing in on her and breathing had turned into a most grievous chore... At least that was the last of the fake mourners presenting their respects. She could go into her chambers now, to pack whatever clothes she had and leave this house forever, pretend she had been alone her whole life._

_She had yet to shed a tear for her family. She had been too numbed to do so when she was informed of their passing. Her whole family had been on holiday, visiting some summer palace in the south of Panem, at her fifteen years of age, she had begged her parents to allow her to stay behind, since she felt she had outgrown family holidays, so her Father, who loved her more than anything, as she was his only daughter, had been disappointed, but had acquiesced to her request._

_The palace was a few days horse ride from the border with a neighboring Kingdom, with which Panem had been at war with for years. The attack against the palace and the adjacent village was unexpected and treacherous. There were no military personnel, nor strategic advances, no nothing to be gained from it. Just a village full of hard laboring peasants and a vacation home... they were all slain mercilessly. The whole House of Mason, except for Johanna, had been the first ones to be murdered: the Duke and Duchess Sieben, their 3 boys, the Dowager Duchess, who was the only living grandparent Johanna had, her Aunt and Uncle and cousins... all gone. She was left alive, because she had been a selfish teenager._

_She gave her well-wisher a stiff curtsy, with a blank stare. She was glad to finally be alone. She was so tired of these stupid niceties. She possessed no Lady title anymore; she was just plain Johanna Mason, Orphan. That was her._

_Picking up her black skirts, she took off running, or at least she tried to, for when she turned the corner, she collided with a solid wall of muscles. Looking up, all she saw was two bright blue understanding orbs attached to a mop of blond hair. Even at sixteen the young Duke of Merch had an impressive presence, with his broad shoulders and stocky build._

_"Your Grace..." He bowed as low as he could, while holding on to the hand he had grasped to steady her._

_"I apologize for having to correct you, my Lord, but officially, it is still Lady Mason... until midnight any way... After that... I will be just plain Johanna" she said resentfully._

_"Well, for me, you will always be Your Grace, Duchess Johanna!" He replied with a sad smile. "I think it unfair the way our society's hierarchy works... I am sorry, for your loss; I truly am sorry you have to go through all this... Um... Shit?" She looked at him with wide eyes, but smiled at his obscenity, she was not used to people talk in this manner around her... She found that for the first time today, she could be herself._

_She flung herself at him, her slim arms wrapped tightly around his neck, burying her face on his chest, where she cried bitterly for an inordinate amount of time, ruining his suit jacket and vest. He just stood there, arms lightly around her shoulders, allowing her to release all her bottled up anger and sadness, he wanted her to mourn freely, and as a good friend would do, he would be there to lend her his shoulder (or chest) to cry on._

_"Thank you, my Lord. I do not know, if I would have been able to endure this terrible week without your support, or of that of Lady Cresta..." She sniffled. "I just hope I did not ruin, what little time she had allotted to spend with Lord Odair, before his return to his studies at the Capitol." She said sheepishly while wiping her tear-stained face._

_"Oh, not at all, my Lady. Lord Odair had his hands full with his own family drama... Did you know that the Baron and Baroness found out about that silly dream of his to become a shrimp boat captain and nearly had him committed to a loony facility?" He said with a loud laugh. She joined, because the mental image of a beautiful bronze god, Finnick Odair as a mentally disoriented patient was too ludicrous, not to laugh at._

_"Peter... Will you still be my friend, when I am a nobody?" She asked at the brink of fresh tears._

_"Johanna, you are one of the few people that keeps me honest and true to myself. I will always be your friend, as long as you call me on my own bullshit, just like Finnick and Annie do, because for me, you are not your title, or lack there of, you are you, and that, nobody can take away!" He said honestly with a soft smile in his face._

_Her lips quivered, "Are you sure, I will not be swallowed up by time, consumed by people's indifference, until I fade to inexistence?" She asked softly, "I just do not want to disappear from the world because I have no one I love anymore."_

_Peeta smiled, "Then fight to keep people's memories fresh! Become something bigger than a weakling orphan!... Let the world see the fierce ax wielding Johanna that can fall any tree in the woods that I know! And one day, you will be greater than any man alive!" He finished with a flourish. She laughed._

_"You, my Lord, are naught but a dreamer!_

_"Maybe! But I must warn you... All my dreams have come true of late, so what is not to say that my dream for you, my friend, will not have the same fate?" He said smiling, and she could not tell if there was more prideful cockiness in his words or just plain elation._

_She laughed at him, forgetting all her sorrows for a moment, "Is that so? Now, do tell, my Lord... Are your dreams filled with singing Mockingjays?" She asked between chuckles._

_"Always, my Lady! The best part, their songs are just for me!"_

_"Well, I am glad, that at last both your sentiments are being disclosed. Miss Undersee is a beloved friend of mine... And had asked me to keep an eye on you, keep you on the straight path, but, you are already aware of that! I guess the rule is, it is my duty to keep you in a straight line where Mockingjays are concerned, while you encourage me to be the best me I can be, keep myself true to who I am to be, and nobody else!"_

_Peeta grinned "That is the rule! I will never have it any other way, my dearest Jo! not for a single moment!"_

 

=================

 

Dame Mason had been pacing back and forth in front of his desk for the past 15 minutes, she kept sending him death glares, while he sipped the very strong coffee Haymitch had ordered Thresh to provide. He knew he was lucky the desk was placed between him and the petite fury of a woman at the other side of it.

At twenty eight years of age, Johanna was not bigger than her fourteen year old counterpart, but unlike her teenage self, this Johanna was sure of herself, very skilled with weapons and incredibly dangerous when angry. At the moment, he found himself thinking, how he was not very sure she would care much that it was against the law for a Knight (even a woman knight) to strike a Nobleman, she would definitely spare his life, on account of their long friendship, but he could see her hand twitching on the hilt of her Official Dagger, with the Coat of Arms of the Royal House of Snow that distinguished her as part of the elite ones serving his Majesty. It was compulsory to always have it on her person, but she very rarely made use of it. She was still very accurate throwing it though, even Peeta was aware of that.

Finally, she screamed at him, both her fists supporting her upper body weight, on the surface of his desk. "What the fuck is the matter with you?" her eyes boring into his with unreleased rage.

He lowered his sight, he was so ashamed of his behavior, he knew he deserved every bit of venom thrown at him... Hell, he even deserved the sharp blade of Dame Mason's dagger! "I was not thinking clearly... I am worthless..."

"Yes! You are!" She shouted, pushing away from the desk to pace again. But she stopped suddenly, in mid motion, turning back to him, wagging an accusing finger his way, "You know? The way she was acting toward you earlier... I was even afraid you had lost it in that forest... gone after her in lust, and-and... raped her!..." He snapped his face up at her, his eyes so wide depicting terror, torment and revulsion.

"I-I would never... You have to believe me Jo..." He begged weakly.

"Oh I know now! You just had to be so 'fucking perfect gentleman Peter', and break the girl's heart by refusing her... Do you know what kind of shit you did to her self-esteem? Of course you don't!" She screamed with her arms in the air, "She already feels inadequate! And then you have to do that to her without as much as a flimsy explanation, how do you think she saw your rejection? She sure as hell did not see it as a chivalrous act of valor, I can inform you that!..." She took to pacing again, while spewing words at him "this is a girl, that thinks of you as the one who hung the moon from the sky... And I spent my whole afternoon trying to build her courage back up to come face you, and tell you she was alright with your ambivalence, she would wait for you to be ready... But then you have to completely fuck things over by acting like a fucking _NEANDERTHAL_!" She was so pissed off, if she were to cut her veins, no blood would flow.

Peeta was finally fed up; he stood from his chair fast and realized too late that his desk was still between him and Johanna, as he got his wind knock out by it when he tried to rush to her. He was screaming at her now.

"I said I was sorry! I just lost it when I saw the fucking Mockingjay pin! And YOU, and everybody else in this room knows there is some hidden significance, that I completely am ignorant about, and won't fucking share your knowledge with me!" He shouted at his friends, that had been sitting silently by the fireplace, observing Johanna delivering her angry pacing rant, without uttering a word for themselves.

"Boy... We will tell you everything we know momentarily... We are still waiting for Effie and Sunshine to join us. Now sit down and finish that coffee, it won't do to share any information with you if you are still drunk as a skunk" drawled Haymitch tiredly.

Reluctantly Peeta obeyed, sitting down, gulping the rest of the scolding hot beverage. His head ache intensifying with each passing minute. The study was silent for a moment; the only noises were the tick-tock of the Clock on the mantel, and the muffled steps of Johanna in the now wine stained area rug.

Annie broke the silence, with a half amused question, "You have taken a liking to the young Concubine, have you not, Johanna?"

Dame Mason stopped her pacing, thinking her response for a minute, before answering, "I see a lot of myself in her..." She said quietly but stiffly. "We are similar in many aspects, down to the fact that she is in love with an idiot, and keeps trying to deny it to herself." She said curtly, and resumed her pacing.

Annie had opened her mouth to ask her friend to elaborate, but her husband gripped her arm, silently warning her to keep her questions to herself for now.

The room was quiet again, then they heard a soft knock on the door. Johanna leapt to yank it open, and a second later, Lady Trinket stepped into the study, followed closely by a very confused and nervous looking Primrose.

Johanna locked the door tightly behind the two ladies, before going to take a seat by Finnick and Annie. Haymitch stood up.

"Good, now that we are finally all here, we can start. Miss Everdeen if you please take a seat, you as well my Lady Trinket." Haymitch prompted, pulling a chair for Prim.

She looked at Haymitch questioningly, she was not used to him being so formal, he normally called her either Miss Prim or Sunshine, never Miss Everdeen. With a nervous chuckled, she asked,

"What does this concern to? Did I do something unpleasant? Is there any trouble I need to rectify?" She looked from face to face, trying to guess the meaning of this clandestine gathering.

"You did nothing wrong Sunshine... We just, need to have a long chat, that's all." Prim was still not very assured, but nodded at the old man and took her seat on the chair he had offered, a faux pleased smile gracing her features.

"So, during dinner, Sweetheart... I mean Lady Katniss," he corrected, to which all the girls rolled their eyes, as everyone knew who he was referring to, "was sporting a rather fetching gold brooch... A little bird as if in flight inside a circle... But you my dear, already know of its significance, don't you?" He asked looking at Prim pointedly.

Prim's face hardened, the fake smile replaced by a blank façade. She blinked, and then swallowed, she was having trouble restraining herself, but she finally schooled her features into another smile, similar to that one she wore when she blew up at Katniss upon realizing she was a Concubine.

"Of course I know, my Lord... I made it my business to know." Peeta could see the tell-tale signs of the impending emergence of the real Primrose Everdeen, simmering underneath the calmed demeanor.

"Prim..." Peeta warned... She was staring without seeing; she nodded, taking a deep breath.

Peeta added, "Whatever it is you have to say Haymitch, get on with it. I warn you... I cannot be held responsible for my charge's reaction" he finished lamely, "If Katniss is a 'girl on fire', Primrose is an inferno when lit up" he said tiredly.

"I am not afraid of burning, but this is gonna sting no matter how you slice it!" Haymitch said dismissively.

"Odair and I had been doing some digging. Upon seeing young little Sunshine here, we had the nagging feeling..."

"And your findings?" Prim interrupted, not even caring she was talking out of turn. "What did you find?"

"You and your sister... You are the last of the Mockingjays..."

"What?" Peeta asked in disbelief. "That's impossible... There is only one Mockingjay alive, she will never sing, not after the stunt with the burning herbs... And the Donners, they are all gone..."

"Peeta, shut up! We ARE Mockingjays... Mother, Katniss and I! Now keep quiet and let the Earl tell us about the blasted findings!" Prim cut him off impatiently. Peeta just stared at her, mouth hanging open, mute.

Finnick, had gotten up from his perch, currently he was leaning on the mantel, his eyes had been glued to Prim the whole time, just like everyone else's, he started talking, after a nod from Haymitch.

"The House of Donner, was known as the House of the Mockingjays, and as most of us know, only Donner women are called Mockingjays, with their singularly gifted singing voices. They all resembled each other physically... Except for the Lady Katniss, who takes after her father, a men from Seam. As it turns out, Mr. Everdeen was a good a singer as any Mockingjay... But I digress..." He paused and took a sip of water from a cup his wife had offered, "As I said, most Donner descendant women, have a specific look to them: fair skin, towheaded, sky-blue colored eyes..."

"Straight hair..." Prim mumbled softly, absently combing through her hair with her nimble fingers. Finnick, looked at her, with a faint smile, he did not confirm nor deny it.

"Well, there are exceptions to the rule, as we are now aware!" Offered Effie, stiffly. "The Lady Katniss only has the straight hair part of the description... Not to mention, the differences _**the**_ other mockingjay possess..." But her comment was lost to Peeta's frustrated interruption.

"Nothing of what has been said, explains how _MY_ Katniss can possibly be one of them!" He huffed angrily.

"So now she is _YOUR_ Katniss?" Jumped in Johanna with a temper, "After all the shit you gave her today, now you are being all possessive and such?... You are unbelievable!" She shouted.

"What are you talking about? What Shit did he give her?" Asked Prim in a daze.

"Oh, Blondie! You are going to love this! Our high and mighty Duke, kissed his fair Lady in the woods after the boar attack, but then recanted!!! And when he saw the blasted brooch pinned on her dress he went completely bat-shit-crazy about it, he went as far as to accuse her of _stealing_ it!" Johanna laughed dementedly, she was so angry she felt her body pulsating.

"You did what?" Prim turned to Peeta so fast she almost fell from her chair, Haymitch had to jump in to restrain her as she lunged for him. "You kissed her? How could you kiss my sister? You liar! You said you would never place a hand on her! No wonder she wanted nothing to do with you this afternoon!" She was straining and lashing, trying to reach him and probably inflict pain on him.

Johanna looked confusedly at her,  
"That is not the point, Blondie! That is not why Katniss was upset, she was upset because he rejected her after the kiss!" She said dryly.

"No! My sister does not want to be kissed... By any man!" She shouted, still trying to hurt some part of Peeta's physic. Then suddenly she stopped... Something else clicked,

"Wait..." She said slowly and lowly, "Did you accuse my sister of stealing the Pin?" She asked dangerously, "How could you?" The thrashing resumed, "How dare you accuse her of stealing? Do you not know her by now? That is possibly the worse insult you could bestow upon her! She signed up to be your fucking sex toy, so she would not have to steal for our survival, for crying out loud! You are a lousy friend! You do not deserve her! You-you-you... Douche!" She kept grunting and wailing against Haymitch's chest, after he picked her up and turned her around to crush her to him.

Peeta just sat slumped on his chair, head thrown back, face hidden inside the crook of his arm. He was so tired, and he felt like death. The rest of the assembly only looked on; Effie was sniffling quietly on her corner.

"Sunshine, you need to calm the fuck down if you want to hear the rest of the story... But let me clear something up for you;" Haymitch said calmly. He waited for Prim to still in his arms to continue. He pulled her gently backwards, so he could see into her eyes, making sure there were no doubts there, "I do not know, what happened exactly between those two after that beast charged at them, to be honest, I don't want to know... But there is something you have to understand, because it is the truth, those two are irrevocably, irrefutably, and I even dare say, helplessly in love with each other... They are just too stupid or too stubborn or too obtuse to acknowledge it and act upon it." Prim opened her mouth to protest, but Haymitch cut her off with a stare, "They are in love! And you better get used to it, because if the gods smile upon the Boy, he will be rid of Cashmere soon, and then I'm sure he will make your dear sister the new Duchess of Merch, do you understand, cutie pie?"

Prim's face was pinched, contorted into and angry mask, but she understood, once and for all, her sister had finally succumbed to the opposite sex. She gave Peeta a dirty look, not ready to make peace with him.

"As long as the Duchess keeps servicing the King, Peeta will never be rid of her." She said in a mixture of contempt, pity and anger. "My sister will never be Duchess, Peeta will never be free to marry her... It is best for them both, if he keeps his promise to never pursue her!" The fight had finally left her body. She gave Peeta a sad glance. He knew her words where true.

"Just... Keep going... Explain how is it possible that I would have this wretched luck to fall in love with two women from the same house, and not being able to keep either" Peeta said dejected.

Finnick exhale his breath, and spoke once more, "After meeting Mrs. and Ms. Everdeen, and with His Grace's account of the first time he heard the Lady Katniss sing, we had our doubts. That is when Lord Abernathy sent word to his estate, asking his people to inquire about Mr. Everdeen, his family trail was easy to follow, we found out pretty much everything we needed to know about his heritage 5 generations back, all coal miners, hardworking people. You are the last of the Everdeens, I am sad to tell." Prim just inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. "Now Mrs. Everdeen, was a different story, she practically did not come into existence up to the point when she actually became Mrs. Everdeen, there was nothing much about her in the Capitol, so we dug deeper, we found with a lot of bribing their original marriage license, in Seam of all places. We discovered Her maiden name was Johnson."

Prim perked up, "Mother has never spoken about her past... But there were only so many people connected to the Pin, so I had an inkling it would be the Johnsons!" She beams, "I was not wrong!"

"The Johnson's had no children!" Peeta said exasperated.

"You are wrong, my friend..." Said Finnick, "Mrs. Everdeen is the long lost daughter of Cressida Johnson née Donner!" Prim's face was about to split with how big her smile was.

"I knew it!" She whispered in awe.

"What do you mean long lost daughter? Their only child died before they did!" He said with a furrowed brow.

"She obviously did not die!" Prim interjected, rolling her eyes, "How did she become lost to them, is the real question?"

"Ah! That is the sticky part of the story!" Said Finnick, "For the only living person with that information is your mother of course, but, there were always rumors we could investigate before approaching the original source... We were not sure she was willing to relive her past, and we wanted to respect her right to anonymity, so we put it off... Until today." Finnick said with his most winning smile, and Prim swore it made the moon dim in comparison.

"But, as Mrs. Everdeen is not here right this second, would you care to elaborate?" Peeta asked.

"With pleasure!" It was Annie the one who jumped up at the question. "I was there, when sweet Prim suggested her mother gave Lady Katniss the pin, as an early Yule Time gift!" She beamed to Prim, then continued, "I heard most of the story we had already deduced when, Mrs. Everdeen explained the legacy of the pin to her daughter, thus confirming our suspicions... You see, the Johnson's had promised their daughter's hand in marriage to that awful Lord Thread when she was but sixteen. Lord Thread was a very wealthy widower; he was ruthless in business and with his servants, he was also known to beat his late wife, who died in child labor, along with their babe." She caressed her belly absently. Johanna gave her a reassuring hand squeeze. They smiled at each other, and then Annie continued.

"The young Lady Johnson refused, and her parents threaten with disowning her if she did not go through with the marriage. So at the very young age of seventeen, your mother left her parents' estate, and the comfort of their house," Prim's lips pursed and her forehead frowned.

"That is terrible... I am glad I never knew such people, to do that to your own flesh and blood!" Prim muttered angrily.

"Indeed... It is a sad world we live in, where wealth is more important than family values and unity." Effie said sadly.

"Please continue, Lady Odair." Prim begged.

Annie nodded, and went forth. "As we all know, Mrs. Everdeen was blessed with healer hands and disposition, a trait our own Miss Everdeen possesses!" She smiled a Prim fondly, and the younger girl returned the smile. "She found an apprentice job with the local apothecary in Seam, then met Mr. Everdeen, as she herself told the story, he would come to the apothecary to deliver medicinal plants and roots, to trade or sell; they struck a budding friendship, and when he was hired by the King for his hunting skills, he asked Miss Johnson to marry him. She did not accept right away, she said they needed a proper courtship before they could wed, and Mr. Everdeen graciously agreed. So they courted for about a two years, in which she had started training and subsequently working as a nurse for the small Healing Center in Seam, garnering enough experience to secure herself another nursing position at the Hospital in the Capitol, where she worked until the day of her wedding." She finished her story, and approached the young maid, kneeling next to her, she caressed her hair. "That is the story of how your Mother became who she is today, she left all her comforts and wealth, so she could be her own person."

"Well, it was not good enough... She lost herself when she fell in love with Father" Prim responded bitterly. "It was all for naught! Now my sister is walking a similar path, just the other way round... She has left a life of hunger and poverty, for the embrace of a wealthy man, is it not so?" She said through gritted teeth, while standing up.

"I disagree with that notion, Miss Primrose" interjected Finnick, "She was in a perilous position, and yes, the solution to her problems was not ideal, but it is great fortune, Lord Mellark has real feelings for her, that she actually returns." He said glancing at his friend, who was sitting with his elbows propped on his desk, and his chin resting on his knuckles.

"So, the Johnsons just declared their daughter dead, after she ran off?" Peeta asked in a monotone. This was a fairly common occurrence in nobility; pretend the 'problem relative' is dead or simply does not exist.

"No... They spread the rumor after she married beneath her station" shared Johanna with disdained. "She told Katniss, she was left just the clothes on her back, and the few coins she had on her person when she left her Father's house. The Mockingjay Pin, her Mother, Cressida, gave to her, right at the steps of their house, when she was leaving. Apparently, she had real regret to see her only child go, and gave her, the only heirloom that was entirely hers to give away. The symbol of the House of Donner, because she was a true Mockingjay, no matter what her choices were."

Peeta nodded in understanding, he then straightened in his chair. "Now, what I do not understand, and I do demand an explanation for it, is... Why or how did you decide to go into this investigation, and not make me privy to your conniving ways?" His voice was velvety dangerous.

"Cashmere has no idea of their connection to the Mockingjays. We did not want to risk her finding out; we do not know what she would do with that information." Haymitch answered bluntly.

"And how exactly was she going to find out through me, I wonder? It is not like I have her as my number one pen pal!" He retorted sarcastically.

"We needed to make sure; she had no spies here, Boy. Remember she sent those girls Leevy and Bristel as Sweetheart's personal attendants. We investigated them as well, and I must inform you, they are completely loyal to Katniss"

"So... Cashmere does not know..." Peeta said rubbing his eyes roughly with the tip of his fingers. "But, you... You knew... How?" He asked Prim this time. "How did you know about your connection to the Donners... It was your idea Katniss wore the blasted brooch, after all!" He accused angrily.

"Of course I knew!" She seethed, "And if I had known you were going to act like fucking idiot about it, I would not have asked her to wear it to dinner... It was supposed to make you both feel better, connected... Happier even, I thought you were feeling guilty for taking her out on that ill-advice hunting trip, and seeing the brooch would make you happy you got out of the ordeal unscathed... I did not know you had gone and done something as stupid as kissing her and then retracted..."

He cut her off, "You wanted me to feel connected to her? Through the brooch? And how would you know anything about that?" He almost yelled at her, they were both glaring at each other.

"I knew, because I must! As I said, I made it my business to know. I happened upon Mother's pin, while looking for something of value to sell, when we were scrapping by. Katniss had already sold all our valuables, and I found the brooch tucked into a pillow, in Mother's bed, how Katniss missed it, I do not know. Mother realized I had found the heirloom, and forbade me to even entertain the idea of pawning it. Just like her wedding bands, the pin was out of boundaries for us. So I got curious, I went to the library, and then to the registry, I got scraps of information here and there, until I had formed a coherent story. Mother has never shared any information about her past, and I did not want to burden her with questions, not when her emotional and mental state was not the best." She paused, and fiddled with the hem of her long sleeve. "When I heard you were friends with the Earl of Seam... It was like a dream come true. He was the one I have read about, or his wife rather; I had to meet him, talk to him, ask him questions about her..." She looked at Haymitch then, the old man's gaze was soft and sad. "He was my only link to my long lost family. And I am sure I tipped him off with all my inquiries?"

"Nah... It was your looks!" Haymitch said with a mirthless laugh. "You are the living image of Maysilee's favorite niece."

"I know..." Prim responded absently, her hand automatically going to her straight hair. "I was chosen because of it" she was staring at the desk, but not really seeing anything. "I knew immediately who she was, when His Grace showed me the portrait... It was like looking into a mirror... It was so bizarre. And I knew she had been the Earl's niece, so it was not hard to deduced her parentage"

"Your nose is a different shape than hers..." Peeta said, also not focusing. "Katniss' on the other hand... Is very similar, so is the shape of her eyes... God... How could I, have not seen it more clearly before? It was right there in front of me the whole time!... Her voice... Her voice is different though, not quite thin like the Mockingjays, but richer, soulful, fuller..." He had a dreamy expression on his face, that he kept rubbing roughly, as if trying to rid himself of his fatigue. "I have been such an idiot... I just hope Katniss will forgive me and give me another chance to regain her trust." He put his head down on the desk, and his arms wrapped over it. A second later, he lifted up his face to the room, and asked no one in particular "What should I do?" He begged.

"Well first of all, you have to give her space" said Annie, helpfully.

"Which means you sleep in a different room tonight." added Effie.

"Then you apologize and grovel and beg, until you ingratiate yourself with her again" continued Finnick.

"Be honest with her... Tell her how you really feel about her, remember, she deserves to know, she is not inadequate. So, throw in, a lot of flattery... But make it tasteful... and honest!" advised Johanna.

"I think it would be a good idea, if you talked to her Mother. For all intents and purposes, she is the closest thing you have to a Mother-in-law. And it is important for you to have a good relationship with her, as well as Sunshine and Sweetheart. You do as she says, get that?" concluded Haymitch.

Peeta looked at everyone in the room and nodded in assent, he would do anything they tell him to do, as he clearly had been doing a terrible job of handling things himself.

Prim stood up from the chair she had taken originally. She paced for a moment, then looking at Peeta, she asked,

"Why did you take back the kiss?" She was peering at him, from a corner, where she stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I... I promised her, you... Myself, I would not take advantage of her, I would not force her to be my Concubine and enter a sexual relationship with a married man, that cannot give her his name... I really love her, and I feel like the worst scumbag on earth for all the grief I have brought into her life. She deserves better than any of this. But, as Lord Abernathy said, there is hope for me to divorce Cashmere, if I can manage that; I will be free to be with her. I just hope I have not completely compromised my chances at a real relationship with her." He said crestfallen.

"Well... Where I am concerned... I free you from your promise to not pursue her... Take it as my permission for a... Courtship..." She frowned, "A courtship where you share the same bed at night... That is so backwards. It sounds amoral." She shook her head as if to rid herself from the notion. She took a deep breath, and reluctantly said... "Kiss her again... This time do not take it back..." She released one of her arms to gesture to him. "Just... Keep it chaste!"

He looked at her with a serious expression, while the rest of the congregation chuckled silently.

"What if she does not want to be kissed anymore?" He asked unsure.

Prim rolled her eyes. "Then wait until she does! Honestly Peeta, alcohol really does not sit well with you, your logical thinking ability diminishes greatly... You should never drink another drop of liquor again, it renders you stupid!"

Everyone laughed, except for Peeta and Effie. The latter, stood up, deciding it was way past Prim's bed time, and she said so, then started to escort the girl back to her chamber. Soon after, the clock on the mantelpiece struck twelve. Everybody gathered their belongings, piled their drinking glasses on a tray by the door, and wished everybody else a good night, before retiring to their quarters. Peeta was left alone in his study, to ponder... And ponder he did.

 

==================

 

"Cashmere?" Came the groggy female voice from the dark depth of the chamber.

"Go back to sleep Glimmer. I will join you in bed in a minute." She responded softly.

Glimmer was already walking toward her blindly. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she reached a hand, finding the heavy fabric of Cashmere's velvet dress.

"Can I assist you disrobing, my lady?" She asked in that sleepy voice that made Cashmere smile.

"If you so please... I could manage it on my own, but your hands are always welcome, my sweet." She said, leaning to kiss the younger girl on the forehead.

They did quick work of the buttons at the back of Cashmere's gown, and then she slid it off of her. Glimmer did not stop there, she kept undoing the already lose corset. Once the undergarment had fallen off, her hands went to the exposed flesh of the other lady. She flicked her thumb back and forth over Cashmere's perked nipples.

"What are you doing, sweet Glimmer?" asked Cashmere through rapid breathing.

"I missed the feel of your skin under my fingers... I only seek to feel your warmth." She drawled quietly. Cashmere chuckled, putting a hand around Glimmer's nape, pulling her in for a sloppy kiss. But as soon as Glimmer tasted her tongue, she recoiled and pulled away from her lover.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes! I can taste the bitter residue of His Highness on you!" She said in revulsion while wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her nightgown. "At least have the decency of washing off his seed from your mouth, before you kiss me! I do when I find myself forced to do the same to the King!" She yelled in anger.

Cashmere tried to take a hold of her lover's hand to pull her back to her, but Glimmer just yanked her hand away from her. "We need to set some rules, if we are to stay together!" She seethed.

"Of course! I would do as you ask... Please do not be angry" Cashmere begged.

"Fine! Listen careful, you are not getting many chances."

"Yes my love!"

"You are to bathe, and wash your mouth before coming to me! You are to be home at a decent hour. You are to let me know where and what you will be doing if you know you will be out until very late. You will not take more lovers than you already have!" She was serious. "Will you promise to honor this?" She asked.

"Yes! I will! I swear" said cashmere promptly.

"Good! So will I!" She added firmly. "Now off to the washing room with you. Then come cuddle in bed with me!" She ordered.

 

==================

 

The sun was weakly shining low in the sky. It was bitterly cold outside, with an insistent wind blowing all the warmth out of the land below.

She wrapped her coat more tightly around her body, she was wearing a woolen hat, and gloves, she had forgotten her scarf and she was regretting it right now... She scowled, she rather be inside, in the kitchens helping with breakfast, where it was warm. But, the Festival was the following day, and she had more pressing matters to care about at the present, before she could concentrate on preparations for the banquet and festivities.

She entered the stables already bustling with activity. Looking around over men's heads, until she found the one she was looking for, with the messy blond locks. She strode in his direction, feeling her blood boiling, and her anger mounting. She wanted to get this confrontation out of the way so they could get on with their day.

She stood a few paces behind him. It was eerie, how his body could sense her presence. He turned around slowly, the feeling of dread suffocating him, bile rising to make matters worse for him. He swallowed thickly, and gave her a nervous half smile, that died on his lips even before it had time to be brought to life. Her eyes were already ablaze, and he could not look away from them.

She studied him from head to toe, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at what she saw, and he felt his heart leap into his throat. ' _God, she was gorgeous, and he was a fool!'_. She suddenly brought her eyes back to his, pinning him to the spot. He was basically standing in horse manure, shovel in hand, he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, which were in complete disarray, and dirty from the scuffle with the boar. He did not look completely different than when they first met, just this time, he was both, literally and figuratively in deep shit.

"M-morning, m-my Lady..." He stuttered weakly, she did not let him even finish his sentence before a litany of his offenses fell out of her mouth in quick succession.

"Morning? _MORNING_? Is that all you have to say to me? Have you any idea of the awful night you put me through?" He cringed and shrank at her shouting. "You did not come to bed last night! I waited for you until the wee hours of the night; I was worried about you... You... Inconsiderate... Asshole!" She forced the last word through gritted teeth. He was looking at her aghast, ' _She expected him to come to bed after all that went down that day? Not only that, but she had been worrying about his absence? He surely did not deserve that attention from her!_ '

"I am sorry..." He said quietly in a daze.

"Oh, you will be sorry, after I am done yelling at you! You did not come to bed, you look like shit, you smell terrible like stale alcohol, you are still wearing your hunting clothes... The smell of spirits in you is so strong, it is a wonder the men in this barn are still sober! Where did you sleep last night? Actually, did you even sleep at all? Do not answer that, it matters not!" She was seething and shaking with suppressed rage.

"I did not think it appropriate to bother you after... After, my behavior toward you..." He tried again, but she was talking a mile a minute over his explanation.

"Save it! I do not want to hear your excuses! You left me there, all night, worrying, wondering, scared! You should have come to me after you had calmed down and asked me politely about _**MY**_ jewelry, because yes, you were extremely rude and nasty to me, but it was worse to just ignore me!" She turned around, her arms had been wrapped around her middle as tight as a vice since she arrived, but she did not know where else to put them, so they stayed there. She came back to her original position in front of him and continued the tirade.

"Are you aware, that deserting your bed, while I am there is grounds for a breach of contract?" She paused, her breathing hitched, his eyes grew in size, and his mouth opened and closed, he lost hold of his shovel, before she continued, "Was that what you were doing? Giving me an out? Do you not want me here anymore? Because I can file a complaint against you. And terminate my contract, the Duchess would have to compensate me out of her own pocket!" She tried to sound unaffected, but failed miserably. He stared at her panic stricken, he rushed to answer,

"N-no! I... That was not... Please, do not terminate your contract... I did not think of it that way... I wanted to respect your space..."

Her resolved had started to fail, just looking at his pitiful face, but then, she remembered the night before, and the fire was restocked in her eyes.

"I suggest you march right into the house and head to the washing room, I will not have you at my breakfast table looking like some vagrant... And you better be there before our guests arrive so you can greet them like a decent Hos... Hmpf..." He stopped her with a forceful kiss; he could not restrain himself any longer.

He had her trapped. She had her arms around herself already, when he lunged for her. She was frantically fighting to free herself, or at least her hands. He on the other hand was not planning on letting her go, not this time, he pushed her against the wall across from the stall he was cleaning, in the background, he could hear Thom's voice herding his men out of the stable, he vaguely wonder why had he not done so earlier when she started screaming at him, he usually did any other time.

He kissed her breathless, she slowly stopped trying to get away from him, maybe realizing it was useless to thrash and exhaust herself, while he had her in his strong arms trapped as she was. She gave in to the kiss, releasing a soft moan that he swallowed into his own mouth. Finally, he had to come up for air; he reluctantly released her lips, and rested his forehead on hers, a breathy chuckle escaped his lips.

"I love it when you nag me!" He breathed out, with his eyes closed, savoring the moment. He did not see her eyes flashed red.

"Oh my Lord... I hope you can forgive me then, for stomping on your feet..." She said in the same breathy tone.

Peeta opened his eyes, to look at her in confusion, "Whatever do you mean, my La... OUCH!"

She had stomped on his foot, hard, digging the heel of her hunting boot deep on his toes. She took his momentary discomfort to wiggle out of his arms, but he recuperated quickly, grabbing one of her forearms while she was trying to step away.

"No... Do not run from me, we are going to talk about this... And, ouch... That hurt! That was a treacherous move on your part!" He said sternly.

"Oh... I am so sorry... Should I have been in a drunken stupor before I turned violent, my Lord?" She spat, trying to yank her arm from his grasp. He immediately released her, he took two steps backwards, and his face reflected so much pain and regret, it was a chore for her to stand her ground. He knew how serious she was, because she insisted on addressing him formally. 

She knew, she had to stay strong and not give in, or else their relationship would be lopsided, he would have all control, and she would always fold to his will, and that was something she was not willing to allow.

"My Lord, I am angry with you, for your odious behavior, for which you have yet to apologize I must point out. There will be no more kissing until you make amends! So I hope you enjoyed your last one, for I do not know when, or if you will get another!" She said haughtily, looking down her nose to him, as she had been chiding a small boy.

Peeta, did not know how to feel, on the one hand, he was embarrassed for all her justifiable anger, on the other hand, he was elated she was giving him hope for more kisses, under the guise of her ultimatum. He just listened carefully to all the grievances she had against him, quietly acknowledging each and every one of them.

She went from the mundane ones, like: having to replace the rug now ruined with red wine stains in his study, which just by hearing her say it, would be a whole ordeal in the middle of winter, to the more profound ones, like physically hurting her arms, causing her to form bruises where his hands had gripped out of control the previous night, to the downright shameful of calling her names, and insulting her unjustly, not giving her a chance to tell her story. She even threw in his, not coming to bed causing her to lose sleep over their 'bad spat', for good measure. He never interrupted her, he allowed her to tear at his already wounded heart, his friends had done a pretty good number on him the night before, but nothing got nearly as close to being as awful as to hear the accusations from her own mouth.

When she was done, she looked at him expectantly, her arms had been flailing and flouncing all over the place while she had been ranting, now they sat tightly locked over her chest, fending off his words, or his advances, he was not sure. He knew he deserved every bit of animosity, but it still hurt, to not be able to hold her and kiss her, and erase the previous night.

He took a deep breath, looking down at his revolting hunting boots, he spoke for the first time since she stomped on him.

"I have no words to express how sorry, and ashamed, I am for what I did. The way I treated you was uncalled for, disgraceful and downright repugnant. I would understand if you never wanted to cross words with me... But I swear, on everything I hold most dear, I will devote my life to make it up to you! I would offer you to take anything I have for yourself, I would even give up Winter Home if you so choose it, in exchange for your forgiveness, but I know you would be offended by that offer... So, I will offer my honesty instead..." He swallowed, and looked her in the eye, with such intensity, her knees quaked. "I want you, I want to be with you, I want to make you mine more than anything in this world. I want to court you, and woo you, and make you see how beautiful you are in my eyes in every way possible. I want to wake up to you every morning for the rest of my life, and go to bed next to you in the same manner. I want to wed you someday, and believe me I am working very hard with my friends for that end." He looked so serious, it was impossible not to believe him, "Katniss... When I said that I loved the way you nag me, I was not jesting... I love everything about you, I love everything you do, the way your feet never seem to touch the floor when you walk so silently, the way your eyes sparkle when you talk to or about your sister, how you work so hard and are always friendly with our staff, how you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty in this stable or in the farmhouse, how you always try to be fair to everyone, how you always hold yourself with such dignity... I specially love how you care about me... No woman has ever care for me the way you do," he stepped closer to her now, she was having a hard time breathing.

"Katniss, I love..." But she slapped her hand on his mouth before he could finish the sentence.

"Don't!" She screech, "Do not dare try to sweet talk me Peter Mellark, I cannot take it! Do not say things that you do not mean, so lightly. They mean something to me, and I cannot afford to be misled." Her face was as hard and cold as a rock.

Peeta understood how it must have looked to Katniss; him declaring his undying love for her after the way he treated her, of course she would think he was saying all this in order to gain her forgiveness, like abusing, violent men often do to their women. There was nothing he could say to rectify his mistake. He would not take back a word of his confession, they were all true. But, he needed to assure her somehow, he was being honest.

Lifting his hands in surrender, he took a step back, "Katniss, you can believe me or not... I have already made too many mistakes in day and a half, I do not even know what the correct course of action is here... I just swear to you, right here and right now, I am aware of how big of an idiot I have been, I am aware that I will never find a woman as brave and beautiful and determined as you are, and I absolutely hate myself for the sadness and anger I have inflicted upon you, I am truly, sorry for what I did. If you believe nothing else I have said, please believe, I will never, intentionally hurt you again, physically or emotionally." His eyes intent on hers, he could read the internal battle she was having, through her molten grey eyes. There was only one more thing he would risk saying at the moment.

"I had instructed Lady Trinket to clear my schedule after the breakfast meal... I intend to have a word with your Mother... I will ask her permission to court you, and eventually marry you, if you ever have me" He said firmly. She narrowed her eyes.

"You are already married... How can you marry someone else? Or even think of it?" She asked with a lot of bitterness.

"I have already said, I am working hard to find a loophole of some kind to free myself of this hellish marriage... Dame Mason shared some information with me, that in any other circumstance would be grounds to immediate annulment of wedding vows, but, as is my wretched luck, it is not as easy in my case." He did not elaborate further, he would share a clean version of the facts with her, when things have calmed down some, and she was not as prickly with him anymore.

"I-I... Am still not marrying, Peeta... I... I cannot risk turning into a shell of a person, if ever something befalls you, and I lose you forever... I cannot bring children to this world and abandon them to my grief... I..." In one stride he was in front of her, so close she could feel his warm breath in her face,

"Katniss, look at me... You are not your Mother, and even though I cannot promise you I will live forever, I can promise you, I will be conscious enough to keep myself out of harm’s way... Plus, we do not have to worry about any of this just yet. You are still eighteen; I would not expect you to carry children any time soon, even if we were to wed tomorrow... As a matter of fact... We can discuss whether we want children or not later on, I would never force you to have babies if you chose not to."

"Peeta..." She said in a serious tone, like a teacher to an unruly student, "do not make promises, you cannot keep! You will want them someday, and either your wife will be back to give them to you before you get your wish to divorce her, or you will tire of waiting for me to provide them, and then look for them elsewhere, effectively breaking me forever... Just... Let us not talk about this topic, nothing good will yield from this conversation." She said with finality... Peeta was starting to feel annoyed at her stubbornness, so he said.

"I will refuse Cashmere's bed, so I have already written off having any offspring from her. I say, I have already resigned myself to die childless at this point, so, yes, I can promise I will be happy to be with you and never expect you to birth me issue." They were both stubbornly trying to convince the other of their point of view, neither wanted to back down, and as they stared at each other in their stalemate of wills, they heard the first stirrings of life outside the stable doors, not a minute later, they heard a loud knock on the other side.

"Come in" said Peeta as loudly as he could without actually yelling it. The stocky figure of Thom came into view, shortly after.

"Your Grace, it is close to breakfast time, and Miss Rue has come to collect the Lady Katniss, unless you instruct me to tell her to go to Lady Trinket, I would tell her to wait for the Lady outside the barn." He looked at them expectantly. She gave Peeta a questioning look, and he spoke.

"Give us a minute; the Lady Katniss will go with Miss Rue. And I will head to clean up. But, there are a couple of things I need to discuss with my Lady, before releasing her to her duties." Peeta said calmly.

Thom nodded, "As you wish, my Lord." Then he walked out of the stables again, leaving them alone once more.

"Katniss, I do not want to leave this place, before reaching some agreement with you. I need to know that you understand, I will never do anything to consciously harm you or make you feel lesser. You are all I care about, and that is the honest truth." He said in a soft voice.

Katniss exhaled a resigned breath. "Peeta, I know you are not a violent person, and you were clouded by alcohol. Which you still smell like, so I really hope you go wash off after we leave this place..." She said tiredly, "But, I want to make this perfectly clear to you, I do care for you, a big deal, but, I will not stand for becoming your punching bag, drunk or sober... I will give you one more chance, but only one. If you ever lay a finger on me, I will file a complaint against you, and will terminate my contract, even if I incurr in legal fees. I will not hesitate to leave you if you become violent ever again, do you understand me?" Peeta nodded,

"Yes ma'am. I do understand." He said contritely.

"I also want to set some ground rules, for us to guide ourselves by." She said in her Katniss manner.

"Sounds very sensible." Peeta agreed.

"First, from now on, you will always come back to bed at night, we will try to resolve our differences before laying to sleep, no matter if the spat started early in the morning, and persisted all day. I will not have another sleepless night out of anger."

"Certainly"

"Second, you will not drink your bar dry ever again, for as long I am with you. You will moderate yourself, and keep your head clear and sober."

"I could not agree more with you, my lady. You have my word!" He lifted one hand to cover his heart, while the other went up in the air above his shoulder level.

"Good! Thirdly, we will always be respectful of the other, never calling names or the sort. If we have anything to criticize, it has to be done in a constructive manner." Peeta just nodded.

"Fourth, honesty is key to any partnership, this will be no different, so, please do not ever try to say things that you think I want to hear, you do not have to pretend you admire me or anything like that... I am a big girl, and I have decided to give my kisses freely to you. I will not deny you anything, I have chosen to wholly embrace my position as your concubine. You... Are... Welcome to..." She shifted on her feet uncomfortably, "I... Am ready... Whenever you are." She found her boots were suddenly very interesting to look at. "I know you are not attracted to me, as much as I have found out lately that I am to you. I also understand, if you do not wish to touch me because of our age difference, or any other reasons... I know where your heart lies, and if I am not willing to fall completely in love with you, it is absolutely hypocritical of me to expect you to... You know... Love me... But I have talked to Dame Mason..." She heard him give an annoyed semi grunt, but she plowed on, "and she said, that it was best to be honest and upfront with you, to let you know, it was alright, that I would be alright... Even if you love someone else, I am here, and I know I will not be a substitution but..."

"Stop!" He called out, he reached his hand to her chin, lifting her face to his, "You have it all wrong... I am not in love with Margaret any more. She passed away ten years ago, and as callous as this might sound, I let her go sometime back. It is not healthy to dwell in the past." His eyes were boring into hers. "I just cannot believe, that to this day, you have not an inkling of the effect you can have... Particularly on me! I have been crazy about you ever since I heard you singing and I did not even know what your face looked like! Not really." The internal battle inside of her mind was mid rage. "I have not lain with you, claiming you as mine, not because I do not want you, or find you attractive, because o, my God, you cannot look yourself in the looking glass and not see how gorgeous you truly are, inside and out. Every time you enter a room is like the sun shines brighter, you steal my breath away, I have to forcefully keep myself from rushing to you to claim your mouth with mine, hell! I am doing it right now! As we speak!" He said with a joyless chuckle,

"Everything I said to you earlier is true, I do want you for my wife, I do want you in my bed as more than a sleeping buddy, but I will not use you to pleasure myself, I will not take your innocence away before I can convince you that what I say is real, and that you will be certain that there is no one else for me."

He paused, "it is my turn to set some rules! First, I will not touch you unless you believe my feelings are true. Second, you can have anything you want, you can do anything you want, my wealth is at your feet, just know that I consider this," he pointed between the two of them, "a romantic monogamous relationship, there will be no other women for me, and I really hope there would be no other men for you. Third, you will seriously give thought to a future in which you are married to me... I officially take back my earlier statement, of wanting you to wed any man who would come asking for your hand in marriage, I cannot bring myself to accept the notion of other man laying a hand on you."

Her eyes had been staring straight into his, drinking in all his words, she was convinced he was being honest, and she nodded her assent, for she agreed, she could not fathom sleeping next to any man other than him. He was hers, and she was his, anything else was unthinkable.

"Lastly, I will never force you to bear me children, we can talk about it from time to time, but you are not obligated. Now, can you accept and believe that? Can you be certain that all I said is the honest truth? I want you to be one hundred percent sure, you agree with everything I have said." He waited for her to respond, she nodded in agreement,

"I believe you..." She whispered. "Do you agree with my rules?" She asked quietly.

"I do!" He said with conviction.

"Then... Are we... Are we... A real thing?" She asked diverting her sight to the side.

"If you take me, yes..." He responded softly, holding her chin between his forefinger and thumb once again. "Katniss Everdeen... Will you be my sweetheart?" He asked softly, her eyes widened at his question, so he quickly added, "I know... I... Am already 'legally' attached, but, I have real high hopes, for freedom. I know this would be unofficial for a while, but, I want us to know where our true intentions lie" He released her chin from his grasp.

Katniss thought about it for a long moment, before answering. "Would it be alright with you, if I sleep on it, before giving you my answer? I, need to talk this over with Mother and Prim. I need them to be aware of what it is we are doing; I do not think I can handle another encounter with a betrayed Prim."

He cleared his throat. "That is fair. Now, you will have to return to your chores, and I will have to run to shower if I am to make it in time to your table as you requested... We... We will talk some more lat..."

She interrupted him with a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Peeta! We _will_ talk later. Now let me run, I will have to make adjustments to my schedule to have that conversation with my family." She turned around, and ran to the door, once she reached it, she turned to him, "I will delay breakfast 15 minutes. I expect you to be there, ready and presiding over the table!" With that she was gone.

 

==================

 

Peeta was sitting in the guests’ study, since Katniss was stubbornly dealing with his ruined rug at the moment. He had told her 3 times it was not necessary, and she could remove it after the Festival, but she insisted, and would not back down, so he relented. He found the place cozy, but lacking personality, he knew Effie used the room the most, and he was wondering why she had not officially claimed it for her own; he could very well designate another room as a private guest office.

At 9:45, the knock announcing Mrs. Everdeen, filled the silent air in the study. He, stood from his chair, and promptly opened the door for her to come in. She was wearing a serious expression; it was very hard to read, how much of last night's events she had been informed about by now. He decided, to take Haymitch's advice to heart, and be honest with her. So he decided then, he would start by explaining everything from the moment of the boars attack to the agreement Katniss and he had reached that very morning.

"Mrs. Everdeen, please take a seat." He invited her in. "Can I call for some tea or coffee... I have noticed you are partial to coffee..." She just shook her head.

"No, Your Grace, I am quite alright." She said and took the seat Peeta had pointed out for her. She sat there, and waited for him to catch his breath and organize his thoughts.

"Mrs. Everdeen... I-I have a confession to make... In the last 24 hours I have managed to irate all my closest friends, including both your daughters, I have yet to hear what my faithful Thom has to say about everything, but I am sure he will not be very different than, the Earl, or the Baron, or any of the Ladies." He rubbed his face in frustration. He was very nervous. "The thing is... Yesterday morning, during our hunting trip, Katniss and I separated from the rest of the hunting party, so she could do some bow and arrow hunting in quiet, that is when we got chased by that monster boar. It was a very scary occurrence, and my Lady emerged the victor over the beast, felling it with her arrow. I... I acted on impulse, I thought I had lost her to that animal for certain, I rushed to her and kissed her..." He lowered his gaze in shame. This was painfully awkward.

Mrs. Everdeen said nothing, she just observed him squirm for a bit. He finally collected himself again, and continued.

"Too late I came back to my senses, and I distanced myself from her, thus confusing her and hurting her feelings, for which I am terribly sorry, I would never wish to be the root of her discomfort..." He paused again, for now the story got really bad. "Then, last night, she so sweetly, came to check on me, for I had missed supper, and..." He took a deep breath, "and, I had drank every drop of alcohol in my study, I do not know what was I thinking when I decided spirits where the tool to eliminate my feeling of incompetence and inadequacy where she is concerned. But, when she came to see me, she was wearing a Mockingjay Pin, and..."

He pushed back from the desk, stood up and paced for a moment, he ran his hands through his hair a few times, trying to console himself, to finally, reached for the drawer where he had placed his sketch book, with the loose parchment of the picture of Madge nestled securely inside. He took it out, glanced at it for a moment, then handed it to a confused Mrs. Everdeen, it was the first show of emotion that had graced her features since she arrived.

She looked at the drawing of the girl with flower earrings, her eyes widened, and filled with tears, then she looked up at him.

"Margaret Undersee, right?" her voice a thin whisper, just like a true Mockingjay. "Last time I saw her mother, my cousin, she had just found out she was expecting her. She sent me a picture, when she was born... She was a beautiful babe. Her Mother, Mrs. Undersee, was the only relative that stayed in touch with me after I left home... You, must have questions about my connection to the Mockingjays..." She said softly, caressing the picture of the girl. "She looks so much like my girls..." She muttered more to herself.

He was holding the back of the chair he had been seated on, so hard, his knuckles were turning white. "Ma'am, I will not ask any questions, we have deduced your identity, by default, but, that is not why I called you here..." He continued "In my alcohol inflamed state, I got angry, thinking that somehow the Duchess had given Katniss the token, in order to taunt me and torture me. You see, Margaret was my fiancée of almost three years when she was killed in an horse riding accident, I was supposed to be with her, but she was so impatient, she would not wait for me; she took off, and her horse got spooked, her saddle was not tied correctly, and she fell on rocky terrain, I found her bleeding out, I took her back to the healers, but it was too late... If I had been with her, and the same events would have happened that she got tossed from her mount, she would have walked away with a minor head laceration and a broken arm. But, alas, that was not the case. Madge, as we called her, passed away in her sleep a day later, merely a week away from our wedding day." He sank into his chair, "I have never told this story to anyone. All the people that I cared to share it with, already know all the grisly details." He said dejectedly.

"Katniss does not know?"

"She knows that I used to love her and that now she is dead. There is no need for her too hear all that unpleasantness" he said waving a hand.

"I see how you would get angry, thinking that she was mocking your loss, by wearing a pin you did not know was as much hers as it was your late fiancée's... I am terribly sorry, for what you must have felt." She said with real pain in her features... He could not take her pity. He had to tell her what he had done.

"No madam... Do not feel badly for me... I do not deserve your pity, for I acted horrendously toward Katniss, upon seeing the brooch... I grabbed her by the arms, and violently shook her, demanding she tell me the source where she got the pin. I stupidly did not let her explain, I just lost any trace of common sense, and bruised her arms. I am not sure if it would have escalated or not, but it was the forceful intervention of the Earl that finally broke her free from my brutish grasp." He was so distressed; he had to force himself to look Mrs. Everdeen in the eye.

"I have apologized to Katniss earlier, she was justly angry with me, particularly, because I never joined her to sleep last night, and she had spent a night's vigil worrying about our standing... She had a list of demands... She called them rules, and she presented me with them before breakfast. We had a long discussion, and she agreed to stay by my side, although I am in a _probation_  period, and I intend on honestly fulfilling every one of her demands." He told Mrs. Everdeen seriously. Before adding the part that he really wanted to convey to her, "Mrs. Everdeen, I mistreated my partner, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life, I broke my promise to her and to Primrose to not seek her affections, by kissing her the way I did in the forest, and I am ashamed for that as well... I guess, what I really want to say, is that I am sorry for mistreating your daughter, she certainly does not deserve to be treated so lowly, not by any man, including me. I vow to rectify my ways, and to be a better man for as long as she allows me her company, please, I beg you forgive me as well, ma'am." His eyes were red rimmed, with unshed tears, he will not allow himself to cry in front of his intended's Mother.

After a long pause, in which Mrs. Everdeen had gone through several face expressions, she finally landed on one that did not betray her thoughts, and it was certainly not much different than 'Angry Prim' before her temper unleashed. But, Mrs. Everdeen, unlike Prim, was more mature and understood the intricacies of human nature better, than her adolescent child. So she schooled her temper, and spoke calmly.

"My Lord, I have lost all parental rights with my daughters businesses. I am their Mother in name only, my eldest has been more motherly to my youngest than I have myself in the past 6 years, I would not expect my saying will have any weight whatsoever in what my child decides, but, I understand your need to make amends. I accept your apology, and thank you for having the decency of recognizing your wrongdoings towards my daughter. I do apologize as well, for keeping my heritage hidden from my children, causing your anger at something she had no control over, and getting her physically hurt in the process." She paused, and took a minute to gather her thoughts,

"If it was up to me, I would remove Katniss from your house; she is still a child, even though she is of age. Sadly, as I said before, I had forfeited my right to tell her what to do, when she became the breadwinner of our little family. Adding the fact, that she is legally obligated to stay by your side, there is little I can do to object to her choice of granting you a second chance..." She took a deep breath, "It is not that I do not trust you, my Lord, you have been an honorable gentleman up until this point. It is just that, my daughter is too naive in the matters of the heart, and I am afraid she is deeply infatuated with you, and I am worried, that she will end up with her heart broken and her dreams shattered... I recognize that all of this is my own doing... I have never regretted leaving my Father's house, but I do regret leaving my children to their own fates, she would not be in this position if I had been stronger in character." Mrs. Everdeen finished with a hint of melancholy.

Peeta left his chair once more to pace, he was trying hard to articulate his next words, he knew Mrs Everdeen will not approve, but he had to tell her no matter what her answer would be.

"Mrs. Everdeen, both your daughters think the world of you, Katniss, longs for a relationship with you. That is the reason I have asked you and Primrose to stay in Merch as Healers... I know you have yet to make a decision on that matter, and I really do not wish to pressure you into accepting for my own selfish gain, I just thought that Merch needs an actual Healing Center and a competent Healer; that you are the Mother of my intended is just a bonus..."

"Intended? Whatever do you mean, Your Grace?" Mrs. Everdeen asked straightening her back, eyes intensifying in depth.

Peeta, swallowed thickly, and took another deep breath, ' _Here goes nothing_ '. "Mrs. Everdeen, Dame Mason, has brought me news from the dealings of my wife, the Duchess, while in the Capitol. She has been released from her... Umm... obligations with the King, but instead of returning here to her duties to me, she has acquired another position within the Royal House, now with my cousin His Highness, Crown Prince Cato. Not only that, but, it is also rumored the Prince has rather strange tastes in their... endeavors, which are too shameful to share in the presence of a respectable lady as yourself."

"Oh dear! That is terrible news, my Lord!" Mrs. Everdeen gasped appalled.

"Indeed... But, at the same time, it gives me hope to finally be able to terminate a loveless marriage, such as mine." He said without emotion.

"My Lord... You do not mean..."

"I mean to be divorced from Cashmere DeLoche, yes!" He said firmly, "When that finally happens, I will be free, to persue another wife."

Mrs. Everdeen's cool blue eyes stared into his  cerulean ones, guessing his meaning. "You want my daughter..." It was not a question.

"I do, I wish to make her my wife, as soon as I am detached. I have told Katniss my intentions, and she has agreed to think about it, to discuss the possibility with you and Primrose, and then give me her answer." He felt the palms of his hands sweat; he was having trouble breathing normally.

"Was this conversation before or after yesterday's events?" She asked suspiciously.

"I am embarrassed to admit, it happened this morning. I had been struggling with my true feelings for her for quite some time, and this morning, She said some things that were not exactly right, and I just, had to say it... I told her as much as she allowed me to say, she would not believe much of what I really needed to say to her, but, I had to come clean... And now I will tell you, what she is not ready to hear just yet..." He stopped his aimless pacing, he stood behind his chair, hands clasped behind his back, and he looked into Mrs. Everdeen's eyes, and spoke.

"I am in love with your daughter, Mrs. Everdeen. I have been since the day I met her, I heard her sing, and my heart became irrevocably hers. Then I saw her, and it was a done deal."

"I heard you did lie to her that day, pretended to be someone you were not." She accused.

Peeta's lips formed a thing line, "Partially true... she thought I was the help, and I did not correct her for a while; when she found out I was the Duke, she all but cursed me, I did not intend to lie to her, it just happened. Then I made her the promised to… to keep her innocence intact until she agreed to wed a deserving man. I... I have since recanted that part... she agreed, she will not marry another man, and she promised to consider me as a prospective husband." He was rambling now.

"She has a pending marriage proposal back in the Capitol, my Lord." Mrs. Everdeen informed him, "Sir Gale Hawthorne, has asked for her hand in marriage, she refused to give him an answer at the time. I had hoped she would accept, as the young man has been her closest friend for many years, and has helped our family numerous times."

Peeta shifted his position uncomfortably. "I see... Well, Lady Katniss would have to give a definitive answer to this proposal then! And I will make mine officially once Cashmere and I are done!" He declared.

"My Lord... I know who Cashmere DeLoche is, even if my children do not know. She will not allow a wedding between you and another women from the House of Donner, it is too close a blood relation." Mrs. Everdeen warned.

"Madam... Pardon me for my bluntness, but, you are legally not a Donner! Not after being disowned and declared deceased, but I will take your warning at heart, nonetheless, and have Baron Odair review the laws concerning your case. It is true Cashmere will do anything in vengeance and out of spite."

Somewhere in the Drawing room close by, the chimes of a clock announced the advancement of the time. Peeta, quickly took confirmation glance at his pocket watch.

"I apologize Mrs. Everdeen, I failed to inquired if you had any other obligations to attend today. I surely have to return to the farmhouse and then go into town to gather the hired helpers and waiters for tomorrow's banquet."

"Oh, dear me, yes... I was supposed to check on Baroness Odair once more today, she has complained about back pains, but I am sure it is just so she gets massages" she smiled fondly at the mention of the ever demanding Baroness Odair. "But if Your Grace is not done, I will call on Lady Odair after lunch." She offered.

Peeta thought about it for a moment, "The only thing I would like to add is that I would really appreciate if you give me an opportunity to gain your favor. I truly love Katniss, I would be honored if she chose me as her husband, but I will need your approval, even if you think it carries no weight... It does to me. I am but an orphan, but I know the importance of parental approval, you would be the only parent I would have." He said honestly.

"My Lord... Can I ask you a question before I answer your request?" She asked.

"Surely, madam!"

"If I ask you to promise me to never kiss my daughter again, until you are a free man... What would your answer be?" She cocked her head to the side, so much like Prim had done when she asked him to not pursue her sister, romantically, same intense blue gaze.

"I would say, that it is an impossibility at this point. I also would have to say that I will only do, as Katniss herself instructs. Well... I can say with total honesty, I will not be kissing her at the moment, she has forbid me to do so, until she decides I have been punished enough..." He trailed off with his brows furrowed.

Mrs Everdeen gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk, clearly pleased about something, he was not sure of what.

"Fair enough, my Lord... I will consider everything you have shared with me, I do accept your multiple apologies, and I will wait until Katniss brings up your proposal..."

"Yes... About that... And, I am sorry for interrupting you; Lady Trinket would have a spat if she knew... But... I asked Katniss to be my Sweetheart, unofficially; it would give us both tangible assuredness to what our hopeful intentions are for the future... I hope both you and Primrose, can understand our deal"

Mrs. Everdeen was clearly not pleased; it was like accepting a courtship with a married man, which for all intents and purposes, was what this was. "You recanted your position about her marrying another suitor... Are you recanting your promised to keep her a virgin as well?" she asked bluntly, not very happy.

"I-I cannot provide an honest answer to that..." He gave a sheepish, embarrassed look, "In my mind, in my brain, I honor that promise, but then when I am with her, it takes every ounce of self restraint to keep me from embracing her. It does not help, that Katniss has sought counseling with Dame Mason," Mrs. Everdeen released an exasperated sigh, "and I am afraid, Katniss is convinced she wants to fulfill her concubinage duties, sooner or later..." Well, this was totally awkward to tell the mother of the maid he was in love with, whether he would try to have sex with her daughter or not.

  
"Mrs. Everdeen, I wish I could say that I promise this without reservation, but I have learned my lesson, I will not utter promises I have no way of keeping, especially when Katniss has found ways to break barriers I had put in place to keep things platonic between us, for both our sakes... I do not think she meant it, or that she is even aware she is doing anything at all. If her contract was not so specific about her sleeping arrangements, we would have slept in separate chambers since the beginning... I swear, I will try my hardest to keep our relationship chaste. Just please do not ask me to promise such a thing... I just got freed from the promises I made to Prim..."

"Prim? She is a sweet innocent child, what does she know about adult relationships?" She asked taken aback. Peeta laughed, for the first time that day it seems. Mrs. Everdeen looked anything but amused.

"Oh, my dear Mrs. Everdeen... You would be... Terrified, if you knew the amount of knowledge little Prim hides behind that innocent smile of hers... You can be assured ma'am, no one will ever pull a trick on that sweet young maid ever again. Not even conniving Cashmere!"

 

=================

 

By the time the day was at a close, things had calmed down a bit, everyone was exhausted, but everything was ready and in place for the Yule Festival the next day.

Peeta, had been looking for different excuses to stay in his study now released from Katniss' cleaning crew. He paced back and forth, for a while, until he finally decided it was late enough, Katniss was surely asleep, it would be safe to come to bed now.

He knocked on the door softly, and was surprise to hear her voice answer equally soft.

"Come in"

He entered the room, eyes attached to the carpeted floor, he was not sure if it was safe to look up until he was well inside the chamber. She was sitting in bed, under the covers with her back resting against a pile of pillows she had undoubtedly stacked in front of the low headboard... she looked absolutely adorable... He truly liked to see her in her sleeping clothes.

She was wearing what he surmised was her favorite nightgown as she wore it more often than the rest of her pajamas; it was a cream color tunic with deep green leaves embroidered all along the collar and around the hems of the wide long sleeves. Her hair was plaited into a loose braid that rested over her shoulder, her hands were folded together over her lap, her eyes were sleepy, but determined, and she was biting inside the corner of her lips.

Internally he sighed bracing himself, for whatever was about to come out of her mouth, because by now he was very familiar with this expression, the one she wore when some 'idea' was floating around her mind. Nevertheless, he smiled at her sheepishly, and approached their four poster bed.

He placed a hand around one of the posts to support himself, while taking off his slippers. Next he took off his robe, and laid it next to hers, over the bench at the foot of the bed. The bed used to have a canopy with curtains made from a sheer fabric that hanged loosely to each post, but the material reminded them both too much of the nightgowns and underthings she got from Cashmere, so they got rid of them. She, mentioned ordering replacement curtains made out of velvet, because _"the bed feels sad and cold and bare without the drapery."_

Who was he to deny his lady the comfort of a handful of curtains?

"I am glad you finally came to bed" she said. "I was worried I would doze off before you arrived!" She looked at him with those bewitching grey eyes of hers.

"Mmm... I... Apologize if I made you wait, you could have gone to sleep. You do look very tired" He pulled back the covers and slipped into bed with a relieved sigh. He did not remember how soft his bed was until just now.

She turned in her spot, sitting on her knees facing him fully. "You are avoiding me Peeta!" She shot at him.

He just looked at her in surprise, and stuttered a denial "N-no! I am not!" his mouth agape.

"Yes! You are!" She countered, her jaw set. "You were not going to come to bed again, were you not?" She sat back on her heels, but her eyes did not leave his.

"I ... I am not... Avoiding you, per say. I just thought to give you privacy. That is all. I thought it would be nice for you to have a moment to yourself..." He was fighting hard to sound casual.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I would believe that if you had not just ditched me last night! Waiting for you to come to bed when you lock yourself in that study of yours, is almost the same, as to wake up alone in here after a terrible fight!" She retorted.

Her hands were splayed out on the mattress in from of her, and her whole body was leaning forward... toward him. Her face was earnest and almost pleading. All he wanted was to trap her face between his hands and kiss her into oblivion; instead, he rubbed his face frustrated. _God! Why does she have to be so adorable?_

"Katniss..." He took a long breathe, and spoke slowly "I may have been avoiding coming to bed at a more decent time, it is not because I do not want to be alone with you... Scratch that, I do **_not_** want to be alone with you... I do not trust myself lately, not when you are around, I feel like I have no self-control and it scares me completely, I do not want to offend you or hurt you, I have done that enough in two days to last us our whole lives." He ended firmly, his eyes pinning her in place.

"I still do not like it!" She demanded, not ready to back down. "And I am not particularly fond of you leaving me to go off drinking and locking yourself up in that study with the Earl"

He chuckled lightly at that. "Fair enough, Sweetheart."

"Do not. Call me. Sweetheart! You remind me too much of the Earl!" She punctuated every word in annoyance.

He chuckled again. "Fair enough" He missed these moments. He let a second pass to gather his thoughts and courage, "Do you remember the promise I made you, to keep you pure?"

He saw her falter, straighten up and turn her face away from him. Now it was he who got to his knees to face her, he lightly touched her cheek and she brought her eyes back to his, not moving her head from where it was. He continued

"I intend to keep my promise, Katniss. But, in order to do so, I need... I need to keep away from you... When, temptation is too strong, I find it is manageable to overcome from the safety of my study under a pile of work or talking to our friends" His voice is soft and meant to be soothing. His hand has not left her face yet, and she reaches for it, to keep it in place while she fully rest her cheek on it.

"Do you really want me that much? That my presence is chasing you away from your own bedchamber?" Her voice was so small; he would not be surprise if she broke down in tears any second.

"It is not your fault. You cannot control how my body reacts to you, any more than you can control the cold outside. It just is. And we deal with it, as best we can. Do not worry yourself about this, I will be fine. And I hope, someday I won't have to keep myself in check, if you accept my marriage proposal." He turned his hand so his palm connected with hers and squeezed. "Come now, lay down and go to sleep. We will be very busy tomorrow."

He made to let go of her hand, but she clutched it tightly, and pulled it down towards her lap, causing him to stumble forward. He ended merely two inches from her face.

"Why do you care so much about keeping me pure?" She asked sadly. "You could just have your merry way with me... Nobody would criticize or condemn you if you did, in fact, the contrary is true! Everyone would praise you for it! They would reason you have a right to me, to my body... Because, legally you do... but, you have been a true gentleman the whole time I have been in your bed..." She clutched his hand in both of hers, and brought them all up to rest against her chest. He took his chance to straighten up, and give himself a safe distance to regard her from.

"Katniss..." As it was usual for her, she interrupted him, and he sighed thinking to himself _'I need to learn to wait and make sure she is through with her speeches_ '.

"No, Peeta. Nobody has shown me this amount of kindness, this amount of consideration, in so long. Least of all a Nobleman, one connected to royalty nonetheless. From all my experience, you, Peter Mellark are a rarity. I am so grateful for all that you have done for me and my family. And I thank you for being honest with me, for recognizing your mistakes, and for seeking to correct yourself, and I do not mean just within these walls, but with our employees and friends... You are good man!" She brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. His breath hitched, and it took him a second to gain his composure.

"I fully forgive you for yesterday... All of it." She said softly. “Peeta... you are no longer bound to your promise... I meant it when I said I would not deny you anything”

She was quiet now, he felt certain she was finished saying her peace. He reached his free hand up, to cup her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. His eyes scanned her face for a minute longer, before finally speaking.

"My sweet Katniss... I am not as selfless as you think me to be." He pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and then brought his hand to wrapped around the back of her head, his fingers buried at the base of her loose braid. "You know by now, I am terribly flawed... I feel protective of you, not because I am a good man, or an honorable gentleman. I will look after you, and take care of you, because I am selfish." This made her jerk her head backwards, but he held tight. "And, I must confess, I am having the hardest time of my life, fighting my selfishness, my urges, my greed...” he sucked air through his mouth, “Every night I have to fight, my very own impulses. Because I want you to fall in love with me, I want you to choose to stay with me forever, to... share my life, my bed. The worst part is I know that none of this is right! None of it is honorable... Some times, I get frightened that I would never be free of Cashmere, or the King, I will never be able to court you, and try and change your mind about marrying me... And it is killing me!" At some point He had started to cry, he could barely see her face through his copious tears, his breath was ragged and every word came out as a whimper "I am powerless to be what I wish to be for you... and it is wrong of me to hope that somehow you will choose to stay with me regardless of my situation, or the way I treat you. You should not have to be with a married man, even if his marriage is a sham! You should be free from me, from this fucking contract. You should be living with your Mother and Sister, in a beautiful house of your own, happily, well fed... not sharing a bed with a man almost twice your age, that could cause you emotional and physical pain... You deserve better!"

She started sobbing with abandon at his words, his hand still clutched tightly in hers, her heart beating so hard, it felt like it would break out of her chest any moment. She understood now, those feelings he elates in her, the way her breathing quickens when she sees him, the feeling of fear, longing and giddiness in the pit of her stomach. She does indeed love him, with all her heart.

For all his effort, he had accomplished the very thing she tried to avoid, she had fallen in love with him! And she agreed, it was wrong of him to wish her to stay with him under the circumstances, but, she already loved him, there was nothing he could do to change that fact. So she did the only thing, that seem logical at the moment, she lunged forward, and connected her lips to his. He went rigid for a moment, but slowly disengaged his hand from where she had them on her chest, and wrapped his free arm around her waist pulling her to him. He was dominating the kiss now, with such force, she wondered if he was going to bruise her lips.

It felt like hours had passed, when he parted from her, seeking air, their foreheads resting against each other. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were closed. A fleeting thought entered her mind ' _None of this will end well. After all, love only brings sadness and despair in the end_.'

Her next words just fell unbidden from her lips, she really needed to learn how to control that inability to stop her words from leaving the confines of her mouth, before her brain can process their meaning.

"I am sorry Sir, I think that all your efforts have been in vain" He pulled his head back so he could search her eyes, his were confused.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"You were trying to keep your distance, to protect us both from heartbreak... It was a good plan! Too bad it was not necessary after all."

"I do not understand..."

"Your Grace, you could not have done anything to keep me from falling in love with you, Sir... I am afraid my affections had been already won over... by the Dog Keeper"

Peeta laughed wholeheartedly "Oh, Miss Everdeen! You better keep away from dog keepers; I have heard they can be misleading, fibbers, conniving, liars... Take your pick!" He said reminiscing the words she had spewed at him when she found out his true identity when they first met.

She let out a shaky laugh; with his hand still planted at the nape of her head, he asked,

"So, does this mean...?" She did not let him continued his question.

"Yes! My answer is yes... I will be your sweetheart, and in time I will be your betrothed, and I will most likely marry you some day!" They both smiled shakily at each other.

He brought her lips back to his. There was no more talking that night, only more kisses that he made sure to keep chaste, and they were both content with that.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Peeta's reaction to the Mickingjay Pin: I needed a literary device to prompt Haymitch to this confrontation I guess. In my story, roles are semi reverse for them, at least where Haymitch is concerned: Peeta is the flawed one, while Katniss is the deserving one... It is not an absolute truth, but a partial one for the purposes of this particular story... And let's be honest, when people drink their whole booze cabinet (like Peeta did last chapter) they will do crap they won't normally do, is just a sad fact of life. But I promise, he will not, ever act that way towards Katniss again... Hope this is a satisfactory explanation to all, and hope that the fact that every single Character gave him crap about his behavior is enough punishment for all of you. Repercussions of his actions will not stay confine to this chapter alone either way. :)
> 
> Spoiler Alert: skip to the next paragraph if you do not wish to know what comes next... Yule Festival takes place during the next chapter; we will meet Gale! And we will see a lot of jealousy from a bunch of people. Things will get steamy for our protagonists! :)
> 
> Announcement: I am currently working on a Christmas piece, that I hope will stay as a One shot (fingers cross) should be posting it in the next week, keep an eye out for it! 
> 
> As always, leave me a comment!


	13. Yule Festival: Winter Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Big Thank you to abk1973, for being an awesome Beta, who read this chapter in record time, so I could post it today! You made our readers very happy!
> 
> This chapter will mark the beginning of P & K's relationship as a couple. It will be a bumpy chapter... So hang on to your Santa hats and enjoy the ride! Comments at the end are appreciated, as always!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters or places in the Hunger Games.

"So, the Master, actually kissed her?" Asked one of the young maids working on the breakfast biscuits.

"Oh yes, he did! And what that boy Francis said, it was passionate and steamy!" answered another, who was parceling cream into small glass containers.

"Aww... How come all the interesting events always happened at the Farm and not here at the House?" asked another with a deep sigh.

"I know! It is not like the boys understand the enormity of the events they are witnessing!" said the first maid.

"Their retellings are never satisfactory!" said an older one.

"They never get the facts right!" added the second maid.

"Or they change the facts to fit their own fantasies!" screeched the first one.

"That is enough Girls!" Chided Old Sae, "I do not think the Masters would be pleased if they came into the kitchen and heard you parrots, repeating gossip you neither witnessed nor heard from reliable sources!" She fixed them all with a no nonsense stare, before she approached the baking station to oversee the biscuits.

The maids pouted and groaned, clearly displeased that their fun was cut short. It wasn't like juicy gossip was readily available for the maids of Winter Home, but since the arrival of the new Mistress, the stories came and went a plenty, and most of the girls had nothing better to do during their idle hours, so they exchanged tales.

It was common knowledge, that the Masters where playing a game of wills, sleeping in the same bed, trying not to succumb to temptation, for most girls, it was a real life fairy tale, for others it was merely entertainment, but they all agreed, that the young Mistress was the best thing that happened to the Master since he got heaters installed in the house. The men on the other hand, had a betting pools for different things, the latest one won was ' _the Master planted one on the Mistress to shut up her yapping_ ' during one of their world famous arguments. The winner had been a boy named Francis, who started bragging about his winnings after dinner the night before.

It was funny to hear the men talk about the whole affair, they could not agree on any of the details. Some say she came in like a fury, and started yelling at him right away, others said it was not right away, but that he yelled at her first, others assured he never even spoke, while some said they were not even aware of the squabble until Mr. Thom had kicked them out of the stables. Of course, asking Thom would result only in an immediate scolding. And usually he was the only one actually privy to the real events, he just never shared. But, Mr. Thom was staring his own juicy piece of gossip among the help.

Apparently he had not been there at the stables when the whole ordeal started. Nobody was sure where Thom had been, since he was the first one out of the barracks that morning. Even his furry orange cat was gone. Some of the maids speculate he must be seeing a maid in secret, some of them were assured said maid to be Leevy, since the girl has been mooning over him since her first week at Winter Home. No one could tell for sure, but one thing was certain, Thom was being sneaky and secretive, and that, made incredibly great story telling.

==================

Katniss had admitted to herself a long time ago, that she really enjoyed waking up in his warm arms. Cheek pressed to his chest, arm around his middle, his chin resting on top of her head, and his scent... She felt secure, protected, cherished, and now she even felt loved. She had not felt that way since the last time her Father held her in his arms when she was a young girl. She was surprised how much things could change for a person in just a day or two, why just the day before she had forbade him to even think about kissing her, but now, she was the one stretching to reach his lips.

It only took him a second to groggily open his eyes, he was not altogether awake yet, but he returned the sweet tight-lip kiss she was offering. He had shaved the day before, and she was already missing his stubble, but maybe he wanted to look more like a presentable Duke than a rugged woodsman to his guests at the Festival, she mused. Caressing his chin, she noticed it was not completely soft, there were minute facial hairs growing there already, so she guessed he would shave again today.

He kissed her nose, while she was busy caressing his face. She giggled, and he kissed her cheek, she giggled again, and he kissed her other cheek, she gave a small noise half giggle, half snort, and before she knew what had happened, he had rolled them both over, so he was covering her body with his.

She gasped at feeling of his weight on her, this was a brand new sensation for her, but she wanted to lose herself in this moment.

He started kissing every inch of her face, then descended to her neck, his hands released their hold on her waist to thread through her hair that was lazily coming undone from its braid. Soon he was kissing her mouth, unlike the night before, there was nothing chaste about these kisses, his tongue had found its way into the warmth of her mouth, eliciting soft moans from the back of her throat. Finally freeing her arms from under his weight, she coiled them around his shoulders tightly.

One of his hands came down to caress her neck, and soon after, his lips followed. The front of her cream colored tunic was tied up at the collarbone with a soft matching ribbon, that he slowly pulled undone, she had started to forgo under shirts a few days before, so when he pushed the tunic down her right shoulder, all he found was glorious, soft olive skin.

A shaky gasp escaped her lips at the contact of his tongue with her shoulder. He was slowly pulling the nightgown lower, the top of her breast was exposed to him now, it did not quite reach down to her hardened nipple, but just one more inch or so, and her whole breast would be bear to him. He stopped right there though, kissing his way back to her ear, where he whispered so quietly it was a wonder she heard him over the rushing of her own blood pounding in her ears.

"Tell me to stop, tell me this is wrong... Or I will keep going, I will keep going until I make you mine." She could not string words together, how could she tell him to stop? Her skin had broken out in goose bumps, her eyes had been closed this whole time, and she was fighting her eyelids to open, but they refused her commands. All she was able to do was shift her legs under him, and that was when she felt him... pressed to the side of her thigh, his long shaft, throbbing and hot; he hissed in her ear at the contact, she gasped and her eyelids finally reacted, she blinked a few times, before she could properly focus on what was right in front of her eyes at the moment: the crook of his neck and the bit of skin of his shoulder she could see under his night shirt.

"Peeta..." It was more a moan than a word. He tightened his hands into her hair and her upper arm, and that was when the moment shattered.

Her yelp of pain, snapped him out of his lustful frenzy. He lifted his face to look into hers, terror written all over his gaze,

"What is it? What did I do? Where did I hurt you?" He was desperate and terrified. He kneeled up straddling her, and she regretted the loss of his body over hers.

"I am alright Peeta, it was just..." She hesitated, a scowl on her features.

"What? It was just what?" He prompted.

She leaned up on her elbows, and tried to sit up, but the way he was hovering over her was impeding her to.

"It was nothing, really, do not worry yourself about it" she insisted, but then he spied barely hidden under the embroidery of deep green leaves of the neck of her tunic, the peeking of a blotch of purple all over the skin of her arm. He pulled down the hem that was covering it, it was barely still hanging over that still puckered nipple of her breast as it was almost out of the gown. He managed to slide the sleeve completely off her arm, holding up the front of the garment so her chest was covered. And he was horror struck at the sight, five perfectly purplish green finger imprints, marring her beautiful delicate skin.

He pushed away from her backwards, until he fell out of the bed, and onto the floor. He could not believe those were his finger marks on her precious little arm. He slowly crawled on his knees to kneel next to her by the side of the bed. Tears tracked down his pained face.

"Let me see the other one..." His voice was shaky.

"What is the use? You have seen one, you seen them both..." she retorted feeling exposed.

"Let me see the other one!" He yelled.

She did not even flinched at his outburst; it was almost like she had expected his reaction. Reluctantly, she started to remove her other arm from the confines of her sleeve, she allowed the whole top to fall off, so he could see not just her arms, but all of her.

He could not take pleasure at the sight of her beauty, he could not admire her properly. All he could see was his handy work. He was sobbing now hard, one of his hands covered his mouth, while the other one supported his weight on the floor. He hated himself for what he had done. He could not believe how mere seconds ago he was ready to ravished her, if she gave him permission... he did not deserve her. He should not even be allowed to touch her anymore.

"I am so... so sorry... I-I-I..." He stammered.

She quickly got out of bed, and kneeled in front of him, grabbing his face between her hands, she kissed him soundly, he did not move, he could not, he could not move at all. When he did not stop sobbing, she pulled his head onto her chest, and he slumped forward onto her, her naked back hit the edge of the mattress, but she did not care. She wrapped her slender bruised arms around his head and shoulders, and started to rock him back and forth, placing soft kisses on his temple.

"Shhh, baby, it is alright... I will be fine. I have forgiven you already, remember?" She soothed.

He shook his head. "No... I hurt you... You cannot be this sweet to me... I am a monster..." He whimpered into her arms.

"No sweetie, you are not a monster... That was not you, it was the alcohol. But, now you know what indulgence can do, and you can control it from now on. We will be fine, I promise." She said softly. He kept crying pitifully for quite a while, as she kept rocking his limp body. And then, she started singing an old lullaby her father used to sing to sooth her...

 **Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
** A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
And when you awake, the sun will rise.

 **Here it's safe, here it's warm  
** Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you.

 **Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
** A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray,  
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away.

 **Here it's safe, here it's warm  
** Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you.

By the last stanza, he had wrapped his arms around her waist, where her nightgown had bunched, he nuzzled his forehead on her shoulder, there were still some quiet tears falling down his cheeks, but he had finally calmed down. Slowly, he pulled up straighter, her head now leveled with his chin, he raised his hands to rest on her shoulders, while caressing her cheeks with his knuckles.

"That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard..." His voice was scratchy and raw, but firm. "Your Mockingjay voice was the first thing that attracted me to you..." He was staring into her eyes, but she could not take all the sadness she found there, she lowered her gaze to her hands that where currently fiddling on her lap.

"I-I had been such an idiot, I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity, losing myself in a drunken stupor, and causing you terrible harm... by my own fucking hand. I... I cannot even start to convey how terribly sorry I am... I told myself that if I explained why I got drunk in the first place, maybe it would make any sense... I made excuses for my own selfish behavior, and I came up short... I do not deserve you; I do not deserve your kindness, and your kisses, your embrace... Your song, least of all... You are the only pure thing in my life... You are the only good thing in my life..."

"I am not... I am not pure, Peeta..."

"But you are! Your heart is completely pure... I... I just cannot fathom how I will ever deserve you... I have never, not once thought of inquiring about your past, or sharing mine... to actually get to know each other. I am so ashamed of myself. I should have seen the similarities between you and... I-I... I need to tell you about Madge..." His breath was unsteady.

Katniss felt her heart constrict in her chest, she was not ready to hear about this woman; no matter that she was no longer alive, she was not ready to learn how she did not measure up to her. How she was second best. But he was already speaking before she could stop him.

"Katniss, when I was exactly a month shy of my nineteenth birthday, I asked Margaret Undersee to become my wife, you have seen her drawn portrait, the one of the maiden I keep in my sketching book." Katniss nodded, showing him she understood who he was speaking about, "She-she accepted, and I could not believe my good luck! We had been sweethearts almost three years at that point, and although she was not nobility herself, she was part of the Noble house of Donner,"

Katniss gasped, "So is my Mother!" She whispered in surprise.

"So are you..." He corrected her. "Katniss, I loved Madge with all my heart when I was a teen. She died when she fell off her horse, landed on hard rocks and sustained a head injury, she subsequently bled out for lack of immediate Healer assistance. This is the reason why I insist on being so close to you during our horse rides, and why I have forbade you to ride alone, or why I keep insisting you share my mount whenever possible... I cannot lose another bride to a horse accident... Or a boar for that matter..." His last sentence was said lamely.

"Peeta..." She did not know, what she should address first, the fact that she was not really his bride, or the fact that she would never go riding alone, since she was not entirely at ease with the animals. She now understood about the quirky way he made his men check on the ties of the saddles, how Thom always rechecked them right before she was allowed atop her mount, why her reins where tested by Peeta personally. She could not share her thoughts on the matter, for he was talking again.

"The problem is... The whole accident was Cashmere's fault." This was shocking news. She did not know he had known Cashmere so far back or how she could be responsible for such an awful accident. "She created a diversion to keep me from joining Madge at the time we were to convene to go out together; she was jealous, and trying to prove a point to Madge. But she miscalculated her actions. The words she said to Madge had the opposite effect she had intended; and Madge did something stupid, by riding alone, to prove Cashmere wrong. I should have been there, and I was not. I have blamed myself for it, for so many years, but I blame Cashmere even more. She stole the love of my life, my future, my dreams, with her venom and her trickery. I never, ever thought I would be forced to wed her and share a wedding night with her... It should have been Madge, not her. And I hated her for it, then, you came along, and I absolutely abhorred Cashmere for all the shit she had pulled over the years, for targeting your family. For once more, keeping me from the woman I want, and the happiness I feel that I can almost grasp. I swear I will divorce her, and marry you in a heartbeat! But she cannot find out about your blood relation to the Donners, not now, not before my divorce is final and we have legally and irrefutably wed," he grabbed her face insistently, pleadingly, he was begging her.

"I thought she had provided you with the Mockingjay brooch, and... And I lost it. I could not believe she would do something so callous as to make you rub it in my face that I would never have the wife that I want, whether is you or Madge." He sucked air greedily. "She cannot know, Katniss... She will use the information against us. She will keep us apart if she figures it out!" He had a terrified edge to his voice and stare. "Promise me, Katniss... Promise you will keep your heritage hidden for a while!" He implored. She just nodded, and softly gave him a:  
"I swear I will!"

Suddenly, she felt exposed, she now realized she was topless and he was privy to her flesh. She wanted to cover up, she felt uncomfortable, and started to try to pull up the front of her nightgown. He noticed her discomfort, and quickly reached for her robe on the bench at the foot of the bed. He placed it over her shoulders softly looking away trying to give her what little privacy he could grant.

She spoke first this time.  
"Peeta... I am so sorry, all this has happened to you. I am so sorry; you could not marry the woman of your dreams... I know I will never be as pretty or as good as she was... But... I want to be the best I can be... for you..." She could not look him in the eyes, this was the hardest information she had to process since meeting him, "I am sorry, your dreams and future were stolen, and then I came into your life, unearthing your past and causing you pain. I-I..." A single tear rolled down her cheek, "I will try my hardest to make you happy... Even if you never love me as much as you do her."

Peeta's face was impassive, she could not read any emotion, and there was no immediate reaction to her words... He just slowly, got up to his feet, she looked up at him from where she had been kneeling on the floor. He then bent down and picked her up bridal style and placed her on the bed, he kneeled in front of her and held her hand in his, then spoke slowly, but surely.

"Katniss Everdeen, you are the most beautiful, most wonderful, most admirable woman that has graced God's good Earth! I did love Margaret dearly; she used to be my dream and what I desired back then... But lately I have been questioning as to whether you and I were destined to find each other. I have never felt as strongly and as deeply for anyone, as I do for you... Katniss, you are my new dream, you are my present and my future. I need you like the daisy needs the sun, like the fish needs the water, like the very air I breathe... _**For me, you are perfect**_ , can you not see it?" His face so earnest, his words so full of conviction and passion, she could almost taste the truth in them; she was trembling, internally fighting with her doubts.

As if to demonstrate just how perfect for him she was, he started listing her attributes,

"Nobody, ever, raises their voice at me, but you..." He chuckled, and she scowled, "You put me in my rightful place, when warranted." A big smile splitting his face in two "You love Winter Home, you love my dogs, and my horses, and my employees, and my other animals... You _love_ hunting! And you are a damned genius when it comes to profitable business ideas. You are amazing in everything you do... And you are brave, and sweet, and selfless. There is no better woman in the world. I know for a fact, you are the best there is." He reached to graze her face with the tips of his fingers.

she had been silent during the whole speech, and she was breathing hard, she so wanted to blindly believe everything he had said, but it was not in her nature to trust so easily. She figured, if all his words were true, then there had to be a catch; maybe it was that he was intellectually infatuated with her but not physically, after all she was not his 'preference', as the Duchess had stressed, over and over, when she signed the contract.

She had to ask, she had to make him be honest with her about that, and she needed to know.

"Peeta... What about Physical attraction... Because I have to honestly say, I have never seen a more beautiful man in my life, not even the Baron compares to you. I find you pleasing to look at, as well as to talk to and keep companionship with... But... I look nothing like your late Margaret, and I never wished I was closer in appearance to Mother and Prim, until I met you. I want you to find me pleasing to look at as well... although I know, one cannot force these things...preferences. I... I just need you to be honest with me" she sounded frustrated and sad.

He furrowed his brow, he was not happy with her comment, she could tell, but what he did next, rendered her speechless.

In one swift motion, he had pulled her to the very edge to the bed, effectively knocking her down on her back, his hands took hold of her ankles, and he placed her feet on his lap. She gasped for air desperately and tried to lean up on her elbows to see what he was about to do.

His hands softly trailed up and down, lightly caressing her calves, he started to talk in a husky tone she had never heard before, his eyes were darkening at an alarming rate, soon there would be no blue irises left in his eyes. The hungry, predatory stare he was giving her, made her shiver and pant and a surge of wetness flooded her lower region, taking her by surprise; she was starting to panic, she did not understand what was happening to her body, every nerve stood on end, and she could feel her heart rate rise.

"How can you question my physical attraction to you, I cannot fathom." He said voice velvety and a little dangerous. "Do you wish me to list what I like about your body? Or would like me to show you?" He asked, without really expecting an answer. "I will oblige, my Lady... And I will illustrate, exactly what I mean. Rest assure... I will not go back on my own rule; you will stay virtually a virgin when I am done with you." He said softly, his hands still caressing her lower legs. Her breath came short and ragged. What did he plan on doing, she did not know, but she sure as hell wanted to find out!

"Katniss..." He said in that dangerous husky voice, "I am going to touch you, showing you what I like; if at any time, you feel discomfort or you dislike my touch, I want you to tell me to stop immediately, do I have your word?" He asked seriously. She nodded, because her voice had failed her.

"Good..." He said with a wide smile. "I will start by telling you how much I like your hair..." He slowly got off the floor, and sat behind her on the middle of the bed to undo her braid, and massaged her scalp with the tips of his fingers. Her long dark tresses fell unbound to the soft mattress, and she closed her eyes, and released a contented sigh. It felt impossibly good to have him play with her hair.

He scooted closer to her, supporting his weight on one elbow, he reached her ear, and whispered the next words,

"I love the color of your hair, and how soft it is to my touch, the length of it..." She gasped when his warm breath reached her neck, "I must confess, one of my most recurrent... 'Dreams', is to wrap your braid around my hand to keep you in place while..." He stopped there, breathing heavily, not sure what prompted him to say that. Meanwhile she was having a hard time, keeping from trembling like a leaf.

When he had his fill of her hair, he lowered his hand to her neck, "I also like the line of your neck," he dragged a finger down from her ear to where her neck met her shoulder, leaving a trail of fire where his finger had traced her skin "it is so long, and the skin so soft, I have a hard time keeping my lips from it." Since he was already whispering in her ear, he placed a soft kiss on the spot his finger had been a second ago. She gave a weak gasp, and her legs squeezed closed involuntarily.

He surprised her by wrapping his arms around her torso, right under her breast, pulling her farther onto the bed, until she was propped on the many pillows, and he was facing her fully.

"I absolutely love your beautiful face! Everything about your face is pleasing to look at!" He said, repeating her own words, "your nose. Your cheeks. Your chin. Your forehead." With every face part he mentioned he placed a soft kiss there, "Your eyes... Your eyes drive me into madness! I am obsessed with your eyes when you get angry, it makes me weak in the knees." He kissed her eyelids, and she opened her eyes to peer at him. His eyes, were dark pools, that had intensified in his quest to show her how attracted he was to her.

"Your lips..." He gave her a quick chaste and sweet peck, "Your lips belong to me now!" He looked at her with that predatory glance that made her breath hitch, to demonstrate what meant, he claimed her mouth with his; this kiss was neither chaste nor sweet. It was passionate and demanding. "You. Have. No idea. How much. I crave. Your lips." He whispered against her lips between kisses. "I have dreamed about your lips since I saw you properly for the first time." He kissed her again for a long while; she would make little approving noises every so often.

After he finally moved on from her lips, he kissed her jaw line, bringing his free hand to her throat, he wrapped his hand lightly around her slender neck; she closed her eyes, with an overload of new sensations. He commanded with a firm, yet quiet whisper.

"Katniss, look at me."

She obeyed.

"I am going to remove your robe from your shoulders; I will bare your chest to my gaze. If you do not wish me to do this, now is the time to speak up, my dear." He said with purpose. She was so far gone; she did not care if he took her right then, so she only said, while still panting,

"Proceed, my Lord... Everything that meets your eyes, is completely yours..." Her voice was thick and husky as well. She sat up a little, leaning back on her elbows to assist with the removal of her robe.

The corners of his mouth rose up in a very slight smile. He let his hand slide down to her shoulder and her soft warm robe fell off her upper body easily, leaving her entire chest exposed to him. His eyes did a slow sweep down from her eyes, to where his hand had been on her throat, to her collarbone, to her well defined shoulders, to the swell of her perky breasts, to the dark pink nipples that stood puckered at both her arousal and the newness of her nakedness.

Under his hungry stare; she felt beautiful for the first time in her life. She believed every word he had told her in the last two days. He did not touch her chest, but he did touch her bruised arms, he kissed them tenderly, an apology of sorts. He had to straddle her to reach the other arm. One hand attached itself to her ribcage,

"This area right here..." He whispered, he lowered his hand to where her nightgown bunched, and moved it downwards, until he reached her waist, he lowered himself to place tight-lip kisses around her navel, whispering against her skin, "I love placing my hands right here," he said, bringing his hand to her waist, sliding it up to her ribcage and down again to her waist, "this part of your beautiful body, reminds me of... an hourglass, or a curvy guitar... It depends on what the outside wrappings are." She giggled nervously at that.

He lifted his face, looking at her, she was breathing erratically. But he thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"I also discovered, that I adore, the way your skin seems to shimmer around your perfect shoulders" he crawled up to them, placing kisses on both in turn. "And your sweet clavicle..." He nibbled on it, "it's to die for!" He released his breath, and she shivered.

He gave her neck another lap with his tongue. She moaned softly, her elbows shook a little, she was not sure if it was exertion or excitement. His knees were at each side of her hips. Daringly she pulled up her hands to grasp his toned legs. She had never felt anything like it, his sleeping pants where very thin, and she could feel his every muscle flexing under her fingertips, he grunted against her clavicle. Her hands were roaming up and down his thighs; feeling bold, she allowed them to travel the curve of his firm buttocks, she squeezed one for good measure. This caused him to buck forward, and bite down between her neck and shoulder. He growled. She gave a noise between a gasp and a moan.

He pulled away from her, bringing their explorations to an end. At some point, her eyes had closed again. But his hand on her nape, pulling her in for a kiss prompted her to open them, if just for a second. The kiss was short and sweet, as was his voice when he spoke against her lips.

"You better be careful, darling. We are wading in very dangerous waters here... One stray touch and we will break the floodgates of desire."

"Is that why you won't touch my breasts?" Her voice was breathy, needy, it was driving him crazy. "I want you to... I want your hands there... My breasts are yours to touch..." Her elbows finally gave in, and she fell back on the mattress with a soft thud. "I told you I was not pure at all... Please, Peeta..."

He did not respond right away. He studied her face for a moment, he saw her eyes swirling with lust, he felt blood rush downwards. He was surprised there was still any blood left in his body for that purpose. He smiled, hovering over her much like he had done not an hour ago, when they first woke up.

"You are pure, my sweet Katniss" his eyes hungrily exploring her chest, he looked up into her eyes "I was actually working my way to your beautiful breasts my lady... You do not have to be so impatient." He said smirking. She looked down between their bodies, blushing prettily. She unwittingly caught movement within her sight, his pulsing erection was mesmerizing to her, she had no idea what she was doing or why she was doing it, but frowning in confusion, she slid her hand, from his shoulder, over his chest, down his sternum, caressing his navel with the tips of her fingers, until she reached the entrancing throbbing bulge hidden inside his sleep pants.

He hissed, and slumped forward. His reaction made her realize what she had done, she had barely touched him, before her hand flew away to cover her agape mouth. She looked into his eyes, terrified and embarrassed. Letting go of her mouth, she blurted out in astonishment at her own actions,

"I am sorry!" Her eyes were pleading, and her voice shaky. "I-I... I had never... I do not know what came over me... I... Please, forgive me?"

He smiled benignly at her, and shook his head slowly, "You did nothing wrong. I liked it... You can touch me if you want to. As you said to me a few minutes ago... Everything your eyes meet is yours... And you just proved me right..." Then the hungry look was back in his gaze, she felt like prey, under it. And her legs started to part inch by inch, without her even noticing. "You are so very pure!" He lunged at her ravenously.

For the second time that morning, he lowered his body to rest completely over hers; he kissed her roughly, caressing her everywhere at once. She started making soft noises, gasping for air. She threw her head back, closing her eyes. The way her naked chest felt against the soft night shirt he wore was amazing, if only it was his flesh instead of his shirt, would probably feel even better. He managed to wiggle himself between her legs, and parted them as wide as he could to fit better. Her gown was still covering her lower body, and he was fully clothed. He asked against the skin of her neck,

"Can I make you, a little bit less pure?"

"Ahhh... Yesssss" she sighed shakily out to the quiet of their four post bed.

He bit down on her lower lip, and without more warning, pressed his hardness against her dripping wet core. Her reaction was immediate, her mouth fell open and a strangled moan of something that sounded like his name escaped her throat. She arched her back against the soft bed, rolling her head to one side, giving him room to latch his now free lips, to the skin on her neck and torso.

He started rolling his hips, against hers, being guided by her moans and gasps. Her hips started moving to match his of their own volition. And her hands were trying to grasp anything they could: pillows, sheets, his hair, his shirt... They would not stay put.

He put his mouth to her ear again, "Ooh, darling..." He hissed with a breathy chuckle, after she let go of the handful of his hair "When the time is right... I will remove every layer of clothing between us... And this. Right. Here..." He said, stilling her hips with both his hands, while grinding hard against her, to punctuate every word he spoke. She cried out his name desperately, "is where we will connect... and become one!"

"Peet-aaaawwww... I-I... I do not know what's happening to me... I can't... I need... More... Pleaseeee..." She was almost in tears.

"Shhhh... Sweetie..." His hands came to frame her frantic face, he gazed into her pleading eyes for a moment, "I know... I know what you need..." He whispered against her temple, and then peppered her face with tiny little kisses. "I am almost there myself." He said so soft, she almost did not hear him.

And finally, finally, he brought his hand to one of her breast, he flickered the puckered bud, then pinched it lightly, he lowered his lips to the other one, and that's when she screamed his name, breathlessly, thrashing and convulsing, her legs clamping forcefully around him. He thrust a few more times, then he closed his hand around a bunch of her loose hair at the base of her nape, and grunted her name, into her neck. He slumped on top of her for a minute, while regaining his breath.

She was still dizzy from whatever that incredible feeling had been, when he finally moved away from her, bouncing next to her on the mattress; He grasped her hand, and entwined his fingers with hers. They were both breathing heavily. And he chuckled shakily, still trying to catch his breath. They were both red-faced and sweaty with exertion.

She spoke first, with great effort, "What... What just happened... Between us...?" She turned her face to look at him, it was the only part of her body she could move on command. Her eyes were expectant.

He smiled, and kissed her knuckles. "That my dear, was your first climax..." He said softly, while his other hand brushed her sweaty hair from her face.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I... I do not understand... We did not really... There was not... How?" She asked confusedly.

"It is simple; it was just external stimulation of your sensitive parts. It will happen again when we properly make love" Then he frowned. "I... Am sorry, Katniss. I did not ask if that was alright with you!" He said feeling panic starting to rise.

But, she placed a hand on his cheek, cupping his face. "Yes you did! I gave you my permission... Also, I did not stop you, did I? Remember you made me promise I would if I felt uncomfortable? And I did not. I did not want you to stop. It was... It was out of this world, really" she finished with a soft, sweet satiated smiled. She pulled his face down to her, and gave him a lingering tight-lip kiss. "It was amazing. I have never in my life felt anything like it." She told him when they separated.

"Will you let me do it again, then?" He asked sheepishly, and she laughed, a full, beautiful, melodic laugh. He smiled at her.

"It would be a safe bet, my Lord... You can do whatever it is you want." She said, kissing him softly once more.

He sat up for a moment, to face her. "Katniss, do not say that so lightly. There are many aberrant, evil things a man can do in bed to a woman... Do not offer me 'to do, _whatever_ I want' so lightly. I might take your word and then do something you truly dislike." The way he was looking at her, so full of love and care, she found it hard to believe he would ever do anything gross to her while in bed. She nodded all the same, letting him know she agreed with him. Satisfied, he laid down next her once more, and just relished the quiet afterglow of their release.

A few minutes later, he turned on his side facing her body, resting his weight on one elbow, while his hand trailed down her sternum, between the valley of her breast. "I just remembered... I did not finish telling you about your gorgeous, perfect, beautiful bosom, my lady!" He said dragging the words suggestively. She laughed at him, and swatted his arm playfully, her cheeks were incredibly red with embarrassment.

"Peeta!" She chided, "That is no way to talk to your intended!" But her giggles diminished any reprimand her words would have carried.

He covered one breast with one hand, it fit perfectly snug inside his cupped palm. "Perfect..." He whispered, "They were made to fit perfectly in my palms" he lightly squeezed her, and she moaned again. He brought his lips to her nipple, and sucked it into his mouth, eliciting a louder moan from her, her back arching into him.

"Peeta... What are you doing?" She asked between breaths, "We just... did something!" She said weakly at a lost for a descriptive word for what they had just done.

"You told me, I could do it again!" He deadpanned, and went back to her nipples. His hand started wandering away from her chest and under the fabric of her barely there sleep gown. Her breath hitch at the warmth of his hand below her navel, when there was a loud knock on their door.

"Fuck! You have to be kidding me!" Peeta groaned in frustration. "Can a man pleasure his woman without being interrupted?" He nevertheless got up and roughly put on his robe, covering the mess that was visible in the front of his sleep pants. Katniss hastily righted herself as well, and tied her robe tightly around her waist. She quickly twisted her hair into a ponytail and stood next to the bed.

Another rap on the door and Peeta glanced back at his Concubine to make sure she was presentable, he spied a pink tint on her cheeks, but other than that, she was perfect. No traces of any wrongdoing... Unless you payed attention to the crumpled sheets on the bed. Peeta, yanked the door opened, to a serious looking Effie.

"Yes, my Lady Trinket. How can I be of assistance?" He asked, Effie did not miss the sarcasm in the Duke's voice.

"I apologize, for waking you, your Grace, but, as you must be aware, today is a big, big, big, day for us! The Lady Katniss is required to come tend to her duties, and she is about 45 minutes late. Which is very uncharacteristic of her, she is always so punctual..."

"Yeah, well, I was keeping her busy." Katniss' eye grew to the size of saucers, she blushed furiously and her eyes fell to look at her feet embarrassed. Peeta continued talking to Effie undeterred by her embarrassment.

"We had many things to discuss and I was explaining to her my regrettable behavior the other day, as well as apologizing for the way I had mistreated her, and lastly we were talking about Margaret." He took a deep breath, "So, I apologize if I have disrupted your schedule for today, but I considered our conversation had precedent over anything else... Even a Festival, to which we are hosts... And since everything was mostly finished yesterday, I figured my Concubine could spare an hour of her day to talk to me, before our obligations kept us apart. I hope that this is alright with you, Effie. Now, if you would so kindly give my Concubine a few minutes in which to clean up and get ready, I will shortly send her on her way to whatever it is she is so indispensable!" With that, he closed the door on a much taken aback Lady Trinket.

He sniffed loudly and walked away from the door.

"Peeta!" Katniss chided, "That was so rude!" She said indignantly, while stomping around the bed towards him.

In two strides, he had her pinned against one of the bed posts, he kissed her hard. Yanking her robe open once more. "I was about to do something to your lower region, and I still want to do it. Now, we have no time, because Effie decided to middle in. So I will have to content myself to stimulate you like I did before..." He placed a hand under each of her thighs, and pulled her up from the ground. She yelped and her legs automatically wrapped around his middle. This was so much like what happened in the woods, but she was trying to talk sense into him now, if he only released her lips for a moment.

For the second time in less than 20 minutes, he was 'externally stimulating' his girl with abandon. She gave up any attempt to persuade him from it, once she realized, her own hips where moving in tandem with his. He did not speak at all this time, and she kept biting his shoulder, for fear that Effie would still be at the other side of their door listening in. This time the coiling in her lower belly sprang faster, it was a lot less earth-shattering, but a lot more prolonged. She was kissing his neck and sucking on his earlobe when he came, with a growl. She was surprise at how sticky their clothes had become, and with a shaky laughed she commented on it.

"I did not realize this would be so messy"

Peeta just nodded, breathing erratically, his face was tomato red with exertion. She kissed him lazily, and he finally put her down.

"Do you want to come clean up with me?" She asked demurely, but a glint in her eyes hinted at a promise. He nodded again, and clutching his hand, she guided him into the attached bathroom for their first ever joint bath.

 

=======================

 

He was in his study, standing next to his big window, looking at nothing in particular. There were people walking in and out of the house, some carrying flower arrangements, others rolled up rugs, some were pushing carts topped with linens... Tablecloths maybe... Furniture was being moved around, or into storage.

He wondered: which one of this people knew anything about construction? he would hire them on the spot if they would work on that stupid service door in the little changing room between the chamber and attached bathroom... Whatever her intentions were by taking him with her to wash up, were thwarted by a maid standing in the middle of the small room distractedly pulling out dresses for her to wear before the festivities.

Once Katniss saw the maid, Bristle she called her, she stopped short and pushed him back into the bedchamber. The expression on her face told him, she was embarrassed beyond belief, about having people find out what had they been doing that morning. He understood; it had nothing to do with being with him, and a lot to do with her modesty, and maybe her insecurities. He... He did not care if the whole world thought they were actually having sex, and not just merely exploring; as a matter of fact, he would welcome the notion, then everyone would know, they belonged to each other.

A knock on the door brought him back to the present. He only turned his head to the side not attempting to move from his spot by the window.

"Come in, the door is unlocked"

He knew it was her before the door had closed behind her by the spring in her step. He did not bother to look at her. He just greeted in a monotone.

"Morning Dame Mason... If you are here to stab me, I would request you do it as far away from the new rug as you can. Katniss will have a fit if it gets ruined with blood stains"

She chuckled, and stood next to him silently.

After a few minutes of companionable quiet, he peered at his friend.

"So, are you still angry at me?" He asked sheepishly.

"I could be... It is hard to hold a grudge for long, with somebody who snivels and cries so much." She said and shoved him playfully with her elbow.

He chuckled softly. He was staring out his window again.

"Are you still guiding yourself by our rules? Keeping me in line for the sake of the Mockingjay?" His voice was wistful.

"You can bet your sweet, perfectly round ass I am." He laughed at her answer.

"You know what is incredible to me? How there was a time, when Johanna Mason would get pink in the face, if someone said the word arse in front of her..." He sighed dramatically, "Those were the days!"

"Shut up!" She laughed, and punched his arm weakly. "I still blush when a man lewdly comments about _my_ ass!" She said causing him to laugh. "Specially if it is bare and up in the air!"

"Ugh! Johanna... Now I really need to be stabbed, preferably in the brain, so I can forget that awful comment!" They both laughed again to the point of tears.

After they both had calmed down from their fit of laughter, he turned to her fully. She was wearing girl clothing today... Sort of. She had a woman's blouse on, tucked into her male trousers. Her hair was held back by a baby blue ribbon that really did not match her clothing at all... She looked pretty, so delicate, her warm brown, wide set eyes fixed on his blue round ones. He wanted to tell her she looked pretty, but with Johanna Mason, he did not know what her answer would be, so he said nothing.

"Peet, she started taking pills today. To prevent conception... She had this goofy grin all morning; she was humming some lullaby... She had ' _orgasm_ ' written all over her features." Her voice was soft, soothing even, her eyes honest, "I deduced that since she was walking quite lively, you did not actually have intercourse. I still remember the discomfort in Madge's steps the day after, and Katniss did not looked affected at all, other than her dreamy demeanor."

"I... Do not have to explain myself... But you can rest assured, I will not do anything, she is not comfortable with. What happened between us, was more or less following your own advice: She had started to tell me, how I did not find her physically enticing, and I had to correct that ridiculous notion of hers." He tried to sound dismissive, but the edge of doubt in his voice gave him away.

"Whatever it is Peeta, take it slow, she is still eighteen, she is curious, she wants to please you, she wants to be loved by you, no matter what she says... Be smart. I feel very protective of her, as if she was my younger sister; I have never felt this close to anybody. I want you to remember that I have mastered 20 different ways to kill a man three times my size without him even noticing me coming." She was totally serious while threatening him, he shivered.

"No 'old friendship' immunity?" He said with a soft smile.

"I have not decided just yet" she replied nonchalantly. Then with a devious smile she asked him, "Did you really meant what you told Effie this morning? You were keeping Katniss busy with deep thorough conversation? Or was that a 'get the fuck off, so I can finger my girlfriend' kind of thing?"

"First off... I **did** have the most awkward conversation with Katniss this morning, she was topless and I was feeling so wretched I could not even enjoy the view. All I could see, where the bruises on her arms. Second, it is none of your business what I did to my girlfriend after Effie left... And before you ask, No, I did not _finger her_ as you so crassly put it" he had a disgusted expression on his face. before adding sheepishly, "Effie interrupted me right when I was about too..." he said regretfully after a minute or so.

Johanna laughed heartily, and then punched him in the arm again.  
"There is always tomorrow morning, Lover boy!"

 

======================

 

Everything was finally in place for the Yule Festival. Decorations were up; the food was being arranged by the caterers, all the tables and placeholders where set. And there was a little stage for musicians at the opposite end of the big open hall, leaving a sizable area for dancing. Lady Trinket, at least was pleased to see that everything was going perfectly, according to her schedule. So when Cinna and Portia arrived with their helpers, Effie shooed them all upstairs to beautify the Lady Katniss, and help her mother and sister into their own gowns.

Katniss had offered Annie to lend her Portia, she refused the first time out of propriety, the second time she did not bat an eyelash to accept, it was comically really.

Portia, and two of her assistants, Octavia and Venia, were explaining to Katniss about waxing, and why was it necessary. She had never even shaved her legs, she had done her armpits, because of practical reasons, as to not gather odors from sweat there while hunting, this felt like ages ago, but it was ingrained in her brain now, so she stuck to it. Now, what Portia and her helpers proposed was to pluck her hairless all over. She was not completely sure why it was necessary. No one other than Peeta would be privy to her body under her winter gown. They assured her, it was how it was done in the Capitol, and went to work without further ado.

After waxing, which was a gruesome enterprise. They prepared her a relaxing bath with oils and perfumes, all brought in straight from the Capitol. They scrubbed her skin raw, and then covered it with lotions and more oils, until her skin glowed. They cut the tips of her long hair, making it all even, then they washed it and brushed it, and put it up in hair rolls, and left it to set.

Once they were done with the personal hygiene part of the preparations. They put her in her brand new silk shift and underwear. They have her in a silk robe for modesty, and brought Cinna in, to do her make-up. He had a great eye for that kind of things, especially when it came to Katniss, he seem to always know what would blend the best with her complexion, be it clothing or rouge.

He only gave her the slightest of powder to cover her face, a tad of rouge on her cheeks, and a little shimmery eye shadow to accentuate her grey eyes. Then just a dab of lip shimmer one shade darker than the natural pink of her lips. Then he was done.

He gave her a smile, "You look beautiful, my lady. Not that you needed any of this products to enhance your beauty. I personally think that less is more, when it comes to you!" He gave her a squeeze in the shoulder. "I will let the team get you into your gown. I hope it is to your liking! I was inspired by a comment I heard"

She looked at him confusedly. "What do you mean, Mr. Cinna? I thought we had designed the gown together"

"I had a change of heart at the last minute, my Lady. I thought _the girl on fire_ would look ravishing in fire red, instead of gossamer green." He winked at her, and extended his hand to help her to her feet from her vanity chair. He walked out of the chamber, and in came the prep team, with a garment bag.

They opened the bag, and the collective sigh of appreciation at Cinna's creation could be heard outside the room. She heard Cinna's muffled voice on the other side, and could tell he was smiling,

"Do you approve of the new gown, my Lady?"

She had to remove her hand from her mouth, where she was not aware she had it to answer him.

"Yes, Mr. Cinna! The dress is amazing..." She said as loudly as she thought it proper, "Your best piece yet! I do not think I deserve to wear it, I will not do it justice..." She mumbled, caressing the soft, but heavy material.

The gown was a simple princess cut dress, with a tight fitting top, and ample A line skirt, that fell to the floor, still holding a soft shape to it. The top was covered in red matching tulle, from which the long tight-fitting sleeves were also made of, ending on a round neck line.  
The skirt of the dress was covered in small shimmery crystals, that reflected back the light shone upon it every time the skirt moved, giving the illusion of flickery flames. Certainly, she would be the only one wearing red, but she thought it was completely appropriate all the same.

It was with total giddiness she held Venia's hand while Octavia helped her step into the dress. Cinna had taken the liberty to provide footwear as well, as she had commissioned a pair of shoes to go with her green gown. He gave her a pair of low heel red wedges with a big bow on top that matched the material of the dress exactly. He would explain later, that the shape of the heel would be more comfortable for her to stand on all night while hosting her party. Much, much later, after she finally had removed the shoes, she would mouth a grateful 'thank you, Mr. Cinna' for his fore sight.

After she was dressed, the third member of the preparation team, a funny looking, tall, very thin man, name Flavius, did her hair, half of it was up into a braided crown intertwined with little bunches of green holly leaves, white blossoms and red berries, leaving the rest to fall cascading unbound down her back in soft ringlets. The whole effect was breathtaking, even if she thought so herself... She could not wait to show herself to Peeta.

The Clothiers and their helpers moved on to assist the other women in the house, leaving her to admire her reflection in the mirror... She had promised Peeta, she was going to keep the brooch hidden until after they were legally married, so she pinned it on the inside of the top of her dress, right below a seam, she was not going to be ashamed of who she was, even if she could not display it just yet.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Soon it was time for the Yule Festival, Lady Trinket came to collect her, so she could go stand next to the Duke to greet their guests at the entrance. She descended the stair case to the main floor, and Peeta was waiting for her at the landing.

His blond locks were perfectly coifed back, he was clean shaven, and his face had a soft quality to it, she could not wait to corroborate this assumption on her own. He was dressed in a black four piece tux suit, that he filled perfectly. A grey ascot around the collar of his pristine white shirt was held in place by a diamond tie tack, and red decorative handkerchief sticking out of his chest jacket pocket completed the ensemble.

But the best part of Peeta's look, was the goofy grin he wore as soon as his eyes landed on her. His deep blue eyes softened at the sight of her, and his gaze was slowly drinking her in, was so full of yearning and longing, she felt her face warm and her cheeks redden. He extended his hand towards her, which she took gratefully.

Once she reached the last step, he pulled her flush against him, and kissed her temple, not wanting to ruin her perfectly made up face before the festivities.

"You look..." He chuckled breathlessly, "radiant, ravishing... Neither word describes how beautiful and perfect you look... Please, promise me you will really, really consider me for marriage." He had a pleading edge to his breathy voice.

She smiled at him, and nodded. "If you look like this as a groom... I will consider it!" She said sliding her hands up from his chest to his shoulders, until they met at base of his nape. With the extra inches her wedges provided for her height, she did not have to stretch too far to reach his smiling lips. His arms circled around her, to return the sweet lingering kiss.

Thresh cleared his throat behind them, Peeta tightened his hold on her waist, predicting she would spook like a skittish kitten and jump away from him at the intrusion. He was not mistaken for she did try to push out of his arms, but desisted right away; she was familiar with his patterns as well, he would not loosen up his death grip on her until she calmed down.

Peeta turned his head to regard his butler, who mercifully was wearing a straight face; as if he had not just witnessed his Masters shared a kiss, as if they were not still embracing.

"Pardon me, my Lord. It is 5 minutes until 6 o'clock, and guests have started to arrive. If you and the Lady Katniss, are ready to take your places by the entrance of the main Hall, I will open the doors, to welcome in our visitors." Peeta noticed the almost imperceptible twitch of the corner Thresh's lip, and the way his dark shiny eyes were concentrating hard in a point past him, no doubt keeping a straight face was taking some effort.

"Surely my friend. Open them up! Let the celebrations begin!" The Duke said enthusiastically.

He shifted his hold on Katniss' waist so only one arm was around her, and pulled her with him toward the doors. Once there Effie rushed to fluff her skirts, smooth down Peeta's jacket, and move his arm from her waist to bend in front of him, then placed Katniss’s hand on top of his, in a more proper hold. Then she fussed over both their hair, making sure every strand was perfectly in place.

" _ **Eyes bright, chins up, smiles on**_..." Effie instructed, as she was shoving them closer to the spot she had deemed appropriate for guest greeting.

"Are you ready?" He whispered; Katniss took a deep breath, Peeta squeezed her hand reassuringly. She nodded, and with a sign of his head to Thresh the doors to the party Hall were finally opened.

 

=====================

 

The hall they were holding the festivities at, was alight with two chandeliers that hung high up on the ceiling, and many, many, candles that flickered softly creating a cozy atmosphere. There was soft music playing by the stringed instruments that were hired for the occasion. The food was plenty, and the wine was delectable.

As Protocol dictated, the Masters of Winter Home, stood side by side shaking hands, and making small talk by the doors to the hall with all their guests. About 15 minutes in, to Peeta's chagrin, the Cartwright siblings strolled into the long line of guests. He could only hope for them to be discreet in their interactions.

The boy, he could not blame... He actually understood, he had a big ol' crush on a beautiful girl, with which in any other circumstance he could actually pursue... Actually, he had to recognize, it was sweet at times, the way he gazed at her dreamily when she was in town. The kid had never done or said anything inappropriate to her, and as aloof as she was, he was sure Katniss had no idea of the boy's unrequited crush... Peeta caught himself thinking, maybe in another universe, he could be in Devlin's position, watching Katniss stroll about town, from his shop's window, while pining away for her never gathering courage to disclose his feelings to her, or worse, actually confess to the world his unending love, and she not truly returning his affections... He shuddered at the thought; No, at the end, their story would always conclude the same way, 'Together' every time, for they would always be the same people in essence, he surmised.

No as long as the young fellow kept his crush a secret, Devlin Cartwright would remain harmless, unlike his sister. Peeta was aware, of how much Katniss disliked the way Delly would shamelessly flirt with him, no matter who was looking. He had lost count of how many times he had discouraged this behavior, but the woman was relentless. He had made the mistake of succumbing to loneliness, and allowed a brief fling with Miss Cartwright, a few years before he was forced to marry, and he regretted it every day.

At last, it was the Cobblers turn to be greeted and welcome by the Duke and his Lady.

"Your Grace, my Lady, such an honor to be in your presence." said Devlin in a soft voice, bowing to the hosts. "We are so grateful for your invitation to such an event."

"Mr. Cartwright, Ms. Cartwright. Welcome to Winter Home, once more. It is a pleasure to have you among us. Please come in, enjoy the evening!"

"Thank you, your Grace! You are so generous!" said Delly with a glint in her eyes.

"My Lady Katniss, if I could be so bold as to complement you for your beauty tonight..." Devlin said, holding her hand and kissing the top of it. "You look radiant, my lady! My Lord, you truly have been blessed." He said wistfully.

"I have to agree with you, Master Cartwright, I have been blessed." And he too kissed the hand he was holding. Katniss looked at him, with big doe eyes that reflected so many feelings.

Delly spoke up, breaking their little moment. "My Lord, I saw that you have prepared horse-pulled sled rides. I cannot wait to take a turn! You must take a ride with us, won't you agree dear brother?" Katniss gave the bubbly woman a look that Peeta could not completely decipher.

"Ms. Cartwright, you are welcome to take the ride any time you want... I would not bother with waiting for us, for I have not the slightest inkling of when we would be freed from our greeting posts, and I have to say, the view right now, while it is still dusk is just the best. If you wait much longer it would be much too dark to enjoy the view. Don't you agree, my Lord?" Katniss all but gritted her teeth while talking; she was trying to stay polite with a good deal of effort.

He was relieved to see Delly on her best behavior, when they finally moved on; Delly only answered with a disappointed smile, and only batted her eyelashes twice during the whole conversation, so he took it as a small win; although the longing in Devlin's gaze while Katniss shook his hand and made small talk with them bothered him somewhat, he still could not completely begrudge the young man... Katniss was a sight!

As a matter of fact, all throughout the night, he would catch men of every age giving Katniss covert glances so their female companions would not noticed. Some failed. He had seen all degrees of dubious looks thrown at her, from the mildly curious, to the most lascivious; he made sure the men giving her overly lustful looks, realized he had seen them, and hopefully scared them away. Women had looked at her in all kinds of manners as well. Some were mildly curious, other glances were jealous or disapproving, some even threw her death glares that she would return when she noticed.

15 more minutes passed, and judging by the constantly filling foyer, they would be there exchanging pleasantries for a while. ' _Damn it, Katniss' prediction was right!'_ He was happy to remember that there were other activities that could be done during the festival, beside the sleigh ride. They had dancing and food, and out in the grounds, they had hired a few carnival stands for the younger guests. They even had the shooting range modified for a shooting contest. He was hoping to be freed from this tedious hosting job, soon. For there was also the surprise present he had waiting for Katniss to look forward too.

As his mind drifted to _that_ surprise, they were faced with their first surprise guest. An exhausted looking Sir Gloss DeLoche, wearing his formal Knight attire.

Earlier, they had seen Johanna wearing hers; she being a woman had to wear a skirt instead of slacks, paired up with sturdy black 2 inch heels, a side shoulder medium length cape, official belt with dagger holster, bearing the White Rose symbol of the Royal House of Snow, and in her case a feminine looking breast plate. Her hair was slicked back into a tight bun, and of course the faintest amount of colored lip balm. She was a beautiful little soldier, and hated every second of it.

Although Katniss recognized the male version of the uniform, she did not readily recognize the knight in front of her; however, she felt the second Peeta tensed next to her. He had tightened his jaw, and started breathing faster and deeper; she was reminded of a bull, getting ready to charge. She only had a split second to glance at him, before Sir DeLoche was in front of them.

"Your Grace" said the man bowing low, he sounded underwhelmed if anything.

"Sir DeLoche... What a surprise, I was under the impression you had other commitments this fine evening." Peeta was trying to keep his face impassive and his breathing under control.

"Indeed. I was supposed to serve as escort to my beloved sister, your wife, Duchess Mellark. But, she had other plans... Instead I was sent here, to escort the always breathtaking Lady Clove Collins, who in turn is escorting Yule Time gifts, for the Duke and his... Radiant Concubine." He gestured to the woman next to him, Peeta did not miss the covetous look Gloss had given Katniss when he referred to her.

The Lady Clove was a handsome lady, with high cheekbones and hair the color of dark chocolate. She curtsied to the Duke, and extended her hand in greeting.

"My Lord, The Lady Clove, youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Collins. Owners of Panem's Books pressed company. The Duchess’s, most beloved and closest confidant" He gave the Lady Clove a wary side glance as he was saying this. Katniss could have sworn, it was some kind of warning to them... Maybe it was, maybe the maiden was sent there as a spy.

"My Lady Clove... The Duke of Merch, His Grace, Peter Mellark." He said sounding as exhausted as he looked. Katniss wondered if the man was unwell or if he needed to see a healer.

"Lady Clove, a pleasure to meet you." He kissed her knuckles quickly, letting go of her hand as if it was poison. He knew who the maiden was, he had seen her with his wife before, they just had never been officially introduced before.

"Your Grace, what an honor to meet your acquaintance. I have heard so much of you and your beautiful Home. It is such a joy, to finally see Winter Home with my own eyes!" She said more enthusiastically than any of them had expected.

"Yes, well, in that case, Welcome to my pride and joy, Winter Home... Now I suspect introductions are in order, on my part as well. This here is my sweet Lady Katniss, my beautiful Concubine, as you probably have already deduced." He said with as much emotion as he had since the moment Sir DeLoche stood in front of him.

Katniss curtsied to the guests, "Sir DeLoche, Lady Clove."

They returned the niceties. Gloss lingered a little too long kissing her hand, the look he gave her actually made her shift uncomfortably, Peeta felt his blood boil. Katniss on the other hand recuperated quicker; she was more preoccupied with the judging glare she got from Clove, than the hungry lecherous stare she got from Sir Gloss. She surely, was taking mental notes to bring back to the Duchess.

To fill the uncomfortable silence, that had enveloped them Katniss asked, somewhat reluctantly, "May I inquire about your accommodations while visiting Merch? We have some guests staying with us, but there is still room to spare."

"Oh no, Miss Katniss..."

"Lady! Lady Katniss... As long as she is under my roof, she is to be addressed as Lady Katniss. Thank you." Peeta interrupted Gloss in mid-sentence.

Gloss looking a little displeased, continued, "As you wish, my Lord. As I was explaining the _Lady_ Katniss, we are to return to the Capitol in an hour's time. We are just here to deliver the Duchess's parcel, and then take our leave." Now,he for sure sounded exhausted.

"Sadly that is true, otherwise, I would be loathed to take boarding at any other place!" exclaimed Clove. It was hard to tell, if she was being honest or not.

"Oh... Well, if My Lord, can manage for a few minutes on his own, I would gladly accept your parcel, and leave you to enjoy the celebrations for as long as your schedules allow." Katniss said gracefully, as pleasantly as she could.

"Oh, that would be absolutely fantastic, my Lady!" Clove exclaimed. Katniss looked at Peeta for his approval, she could see the reluctance in his eyes, but he acquiesced at the end, halting her right before she walked away.

"My dear Lady, take Rue and Cecilia, with you... Just in case you need help with the... Parcel."

"Surely, My Lord. I was already planning on asking Leevy to accompany me, as I also have a little token of appreciation for Her Grace, I would like to send back in thanks for her generosity." She tried to convey all the assurance she could through her gaze, words and the squeeze of his fingers she was holding in her hand. He nodded his understanding and allowed her to walk in search of her would-be companions.

Once Peeta and Gloss were alone, the latter decided it was safe to speak freely. "Peter, my brother. I came here full of concern for Cashmere's wellbeing. I know, where both of you stand, believe me, I do. I know Cashmere has been a horrid wife to you, and if it was me, I would have severed any ties with her a lot time ago. But, she is my sister, the only family I have left. I am begging you, please... Make her come to your side, you still have rights over your wife, even if you want to keep your gorgeous piece of ass on the side, I would not blame you... You could have them both at the same time, that pretty little thing belongs in the bedchamber after all..."

"Gloss, I am warning you..." He cut him off, hardness in his face and coldness in his voice. "Do not utter another lewd word about my lady. Her status matters not, she is still a person, a lady. I would ask you to show her some respect." He gritted through his teeth dangerously. "Now, about Cashmere, I have no marital rights over her whatsoever. At least, not until the Prince discards her anyway; you know that, I know that, she knows that. I have heard rumors of her situation, and I am currently weighing the possibilities. If she would to come back to my side of her own free will, I will allow her to stay for a while. Other than that, I cannot commit myself to much more."

"I do not care, what you do, Peter... I just wanted out from the Royal House... Out of the Capitol, and out of Lord Seneca Crane's way! There is rumor, the he is looking to promote uprisings if the King does not released his daughter... Civil war is a coming, dear brother. I do want my only sister in the Capitol when the ones that have been wronged, come to settle their scores."

 

=======================

 

Katniss left Peeta's side, followed by an awestruck Lady Clove. She was more curious about everything she saw than Katniss thought was sincere. She had collected Rue and Cecilia along the way just as Peeta had instructed, and headed to the guest study.

Once there, she offered Clove a seat. She, herself had never used the room to conduct her own businesses, it was bizarre for her to sit on the other side of the desk, so she just angled the chair next to Clove's and sat there as straight as she could. She wished this study was more like Peeta's with a cozy seating nook by the fireplace.

"May I relieve you of your package, my Lady?" Katniss offered gesturing at the wrapped box on Cloves lap.

"Certainly!" She said and promptly handed over the package. "Her Grace instructed me, to stay with you while you open the gift; also, it must be opened in privacy, just the two of us." She gave her a peering look. Katniss was not very eager to stay alone with this woman in this room, without her maids. So it took her a long moment to acquiesce.

She stood up, and walk towards her maids, who were standing at each side of the door, with their hands clasp in front if themselves.

"We might as well. Rue, dear, please go fetch Leevy, and ask her to bring me the box I had wrapped to mail the Duchess... she should know where it is." The younger maid curtsied and turned on her heel. Then Katniss addressed Cecilia, "Cecilia, please send for hot apple cider and pastries, if you please..." Then she whispered just to her ears, "Stay stationed just outside the door yourself, would you?" Cecilia nodded and curtsied, leaving the study as well.

Katniss turned, to see Clove trying to conceal her amusement behind lips that were pursed to one side.

"Oh, my dear Lady Katniss, if I did not know any better, I would think you are not comfortable staying alone with me. There is nothing to fear, my dear... I will not bite." She gave her a knowing smirk. Katniss could not tell if it was supposed to be taunting or something else.

"Come now, Girl on Fire, sit... We are amongst friends here, are we not?" She said patting the cushion of the chair she had just vacated.

Katniss gave her a semi annoyed look, and Clove raised her eyebrow, "You do not like to be called that, do you?"

Katniss just looked at her. Then slowly approached her chair, and lowered herself into it.

"Nobody calls me that... to my face, anyway."

"You prefer Lady Katniss, then? I would too!" She said pensively.

"Actually, I don't. I think life would be so much easier without all the proprietary and protocol." She replied pleasantly.

"Your Master surely does not seem to agree. He was very peeved by Sir Gloss's... mislabeling of your person, I guess" she smiled.

"My Master has a sense of protection over me, he also is a man very set in his ways. Once he decides something, he would fight to make it be the way he wants it to be." She offered serenely.

"I see... Your Master is set in ignoring his wife. I never understood what kind of marriage they conducted. I still do not understand it. He would be content with having nothing to do with the Duchess... but you... he protects... Pray, tell me why that is?" She looked more curious than malicious.

"My knowledge of their dynamics as a wedded couple, is alien to me, if I am completely honest. As for the Why, it is not my place to divulge His and Her Graces history. And on what it concerns me; I suspect, His Grace finds my years too youthful, not to feel overprotective... But you would have to ask him personally, for confirmation." Her voice came out flatly.

"Mmm! I am sure then." The older maid sat straighter in her chair. "Let us move on to the present..." There was a knock on the door, and two maids came in. One with a tray laden with treats and apple cider, and the other carrying a box, a little smaller than the one that Clove was sliding in her direction over the desk surface.

"Thank you Cecilia, you may serve us. Thank you Leevy, you are dismissed."

She handed Clove the gift Leevy had just presented to her. "This is just but a small token for Her Grace, on behalf of the Duke's household." She said seriously. Cecilia frowned at the explanation for the gift, unless the box was filled with chicken droppings, she could not agree with sending this gift. Once Cecilia was done, she bowed to the ladies, and left the study; nodding to Katniss to assured her she would keep her post by the door.

"Please, my Lady, do open your present. I am supposed to extend some instructions and explanations for the choice." She insisted.

Katniss took the box, and pulled the ribbons off, then tore the brown paper wrappings. Inside the box were several items: a delicate lacy camisole with matching garters and sheer stockings. A new bottle of contraceptives. And a small pouch with a round container inside.

She pulled all the items out of the box, guessing their use. She did not need an explanation for such "gifts" she knew quite well what they were meant for... except for the pouch and its contents, so she gave Clove a questioning look, holding up the pouch.

"I think I understand the meaning of all the gifts, but this one." She said without emotion.

"Well, open it and take a look!" The older maid encouraged.

Katniss pulled the small cords from the mouth of the pouch apart, and pulled out the round hard container. She looked at Clove again, who gestured with her head to continue opening. So she pried the little round box open. She was confused. It was just a neatly folded flimsy material; she was not sure what it was. She looked at Clove once more with a frown, and pulled out the soft papery material. She unfolded it, but still could not tell its purpose.

"I... I do not understand what..." She was at a loss for words.

"It is a lambskin." She said matter-of-factly as if that was all the explanation she needed.

Katniss' frown deepened and it was now paired with a scowl. "Lambskin? I have never heard of one. What is it for?" the confusion palpable in her voice.

Clove breathed in heavily. "It is commonly known as a condom. It serves as a barrier that keeps a man's seed from spilling inside a woman's womb during coitus, effectively preventing insemination, without the man having to withdraw his member from his companion." She explained uncomfortably.

Katniss only scowled more. "So, the... Man... Is to cover himself with this... Lambskin, and... Perform the act, without withdrawing. And it prevents the seed from... sowing." She repeated to herself, trying to understand its meaning better. She had felt, and even briefly touched Peeta's member, but she had not seen it. The thought of this piece of material covering Peeta, made her blush furiously and squeeze her legs together. She quickly folded it and put it away by shoving the condom into the container, and the container into the pouch, and the pouch into the box. She piled the rest of the items on top and closed the lid of the box tightly. She was done with this embarrassing thing.

"It is supposed to be rinsed out, after every use." Clove said wrinkling her nose. "I am sorry. I am not married, and I have never lain with a man... Talking about this topic is a bit... uncomfortable for me." She excused herself.

"It is alright... I do not feel very comfortable either. I am not terribly experienced in the matter, but, I have all the information I need. I am sure I can figure out the rest on my own!" She rushed, it would not do to inform this woman how limited her experience was. Remaining a virgin while under contract, unheard off, plus it probably constituted as grounds for a breach claim, that would incurr in the concubine's fees.

She had never thought about whether Peeta would spill into her or pull out right before, as a matter of fact this was the first time she actually thought about coitus as a tangible possibility. It was the first time she realized he had seen parts of her body in the nude, yet she had not seen him at all. She frowned remembering that Delly Cartwright had; Dame Mason said so. Who else had he slept with?

Slowly she came back to the issue at hand. She figured there would be no need for him to use the lambskin, as long as she was taking her pills, but she recognized the benefits of extra protection. She just did not want to think about it anymore.

"If that was all, my Lady Clove. I think I have abandoned my post next to Pe... His Grace long enough. We should return to the party." She suggested. Clove looked her in the eye.

"You call him by his given name? Most masters I know do not allow such familiarity. You two must be quite close. Tell me... Just out of curiosity... How often does he take you to bed?" She asked suggestively.

"He... We... We sleep in the same bed every night. He... Umm... Can we please not speak of this things?. I am not used to it. Especially with Ladies I have so recently met." She was clearly flustered. Clove just raised her eyebrow, making mental notes that ultimately were inaccurate.

"That many times, huh?" She said more to herself. "Her Grace did comment on his stamina... I was wondering..."

Katniss shook her head standing up abruptly. "I will not talk about what happens in His Graces bedchamber. Please refrain from asking me more questions on the subject" she walked to the door, and placed a hand on the handle. "Please, let us return to the festivities. We are missing the fun locked up in this study. Please thank Her Grace for her... generosity, from me" then she opened the door and Clove stood up to leave. Then she stood closed to her and whispered,

"If I were in your shoes, I would also keep his kinks secret... He is a very wealthy and handsome man. I would not want to spill any of my tricks either if I had him wrapped around my little finger like you seem to...do" Then she walked out the door, Rue escorted her back to her companion, Sir Gloss; leaving Katniss to slump to the ground against the wall. Cecilia quickly came into the room, and rushed to hoist her Mistress up. She sat her in the chair Clove had filled before. She filled up a glass with water, and fanned her for a moment, before asking if there was anything else she could do for her.

"Yes... You can... Take that box and... Get rid of the clothing... Burn it for all I care. Send the rest of the things up to my chambers..." She was breathing raggedly, but she was fine. She did not understand why Clove's snide comment affected her so. But she knew she had to go back to Peeta, and soon. So she drank her water in one gulp, and stood up.

"Cecilia..." Her voice was a little shaky. "Thank you for everything... I... Thank you."

"It is always my pleasure to serve you my lady. Now, go out and have a ball!" The maid smiled at her. And Katniss nodded.

 

=================

 

Back at the party hall, the line of visitors had dwindled in size, Peeta was trying to focus on his guests' conversations, but frankly, his mind was with Katniss. He was shaking hands with the last person in line, when he felt her presence in the room. He looked back and saw her as if gliding through the dancing floor towards him. He could not decide if he should pay Cinna triple for this gown, or have him thrown in jail... She looked absolutely breathtaking every time he saw her, but she was not privy to his eyes alone, the whole festival seemed to be watching her walk, and he rather disliked some of the stares she was getting... _Definitely triple the pay!_ He decided; everyone in the house was watching this goddess walk to him, take his arm willingly, with the most radiant smile ever seen by mortal men, and tugged him to enjoy a cup of refreshing drink, with her hand on his.

After a few moments, He noticed he was standing alone with her, and the rest of the party had moved on from them. He knew they were in public, and that she would hate to be paraded like that, but he could not help himself; he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He inhaled her scent greedily, and smiled contentedly.

"You are finally back! What took you so long?" He asked kissing her temple, she did not attempt to dissuade him from this so very public display of affection. If anything she seemed to leaned deeper into his embrace.

"Your wife wishes us a Happy ' _fuck_ '" she muttered against his chest. He frowned.

"What did she send?" He asked starting to feel his temper rising.

"Yule time inspired lingerie, pills to prevent conception and..." She went very red in the face, she felt her ears burning.

Sensing her embarrassment, he gently pushed her away so he could see her face, "What did she do?" He insisted.

"She sent a... a... Um... Condom... For you to wear when we... You know... It supposes to..."

"I know what a condom is." He answered shortly. "I have some rubber ones in our chamber somewhere." She stiffened in his hold, and took a startled step backwards, her eyes were surprised.

"Why would you have such a thing?" She asked dumbfounded.

He pursed his lips tightly and breathed in and out as calmly as he could.

"Let us not do this here, Katniss... We can talk about it later, after the Festival." He tried to keep his rising temper under control.

"But... You had said, you did not expect to lay with me. Then what did you need those things for?" She would not drop it.

"They were not to use with you, Katniss. I had them long before you came to Winter Home. Now..."

Her eyes started to well up, she was about to go into hysterics, "You had sex with other women in our bed?" She gasped, "How many? When was the last time?" Peeta grabbed her by the upper arm, to pulled her out into the foyer, but she gave a pained little cry, and he remember she was still hurting from his brutish attack. He pulled up short, he lowered his head in defeat for a moment, but quickly, claimed her hand instead, and pulled her out of the hall and the noise.

"Sweetheart, let me be very clear with you, I will not address this topic again. I have slept with a few women in my life, not very many. I did have the condoms because I never intended to marry any of those women, except for one... And I wore the rubber, even with her, because I did not want her to become pregnant before we were married. We were too young either way." He said hurriedly.

"Then why keep them? Why not dispose of them?" She asked, pleadingly.

"I-I do not know, my darling. It was stupid to keep them all this time, for by now they have to be useless. I have heard that the material as it ages grows fragile and offers no protection. If you want me to dispose of them, I will. I will get new ones if you so please." He said seriously.

"No... No rubber. The one I have feels more friendly, its lambskin, and you can use it multiple times... Peeta, are any of the woman you slept with here tonight?" She very well knew Delly Cartwright was one of them. She really did not know why she asked... to test him maybe.

Peeta, held her face with one hand, and exhaled dejectedly. "Yes. There are two of them actually..." He said softly.

"Delly Cartwright... Who is the other?" Peeta looked at her in surprised.

"How did you know about Delly?" He asked weakly, letting his hand fall to his side.

"Peeta, please... That woman would disrobe in front of you at the drop of a hat, if that would get your attention. She covets you... It's disturbing actually. I hate when she is around you!" He knew that already, he did not know she was so observant.

"Now... Tell me who is the other one?" She demanded.

"You are not going to like the answer, you are friendly with her, and you actually like her." He mumbled regretful.

Panic started to rise in her. _Johanna! It had to be Johanna_... She had suspected this all along. But Johanna was as close to a best friend as she could have. She was starting to shake, but decided he was being honest, and she asked.

"Tell me anyway" she said in a shaky voice.

"Annie Odair" He saw a plethora of emotions flashed through her delicate features, was surprised to see the one that lingered, was: deep relief.

"Annie?" She asked in disbelief. "Your best friend's wife: Annie?" She asked mouth hanging open.

"Yeah... We, um... Got drunk together on my last day at Baker's Place. She had broken up with Fin, over some stupid argument. Madge had been dead for about six months. I was in a terrible place, and Annie was so sweet... It just happened. The problem was that it kept happening for a couple of weeks and without the encouragement of alcohol. Then Finnick came to visit from the Capitol, he was about to graduate from Law School, and I told him." He stopped and swallowed. "He, um... clubbed me pretty well," he chuckled mirthlessly.

"How did you get past it?" She asked quietly. "Finnick adores you now."

"Yeah... Now he does... But back then... It took months, almost a year, to rebuild our friendship, even longer for them to rebuild their relationship. But in the end, it was his love and forgiveness that restored our broken bonds, and made them stronger. Finnick... He has always been an understanding soul. He is the kind of friend that will help you, pick yourself up, even in the middle of his own suffering. He also always heeds reason when the rest of us are going crazy. I love him dearly, as if he was my own brother." His gaze was glassy and unseeing. She touched his hand to bring him back to her.

"Please... Do not let this information change your perception of my friends. We are much better people now, wiser, for our mistakes. Plus: Fin, Annie, Haymitch, Johanna and Effie, are but the only family I have left... Outside of you." His head was downcast, but his eyes were peering into hers pleadingly.

"Did... Did you love Annie?" She asked almost fearing the answer.

"Not-Not romantically, no." He said softly. "She got a little confused for a while. Then realized her heart had always belonged to Finnick. But they had some doubts for a while. Those doubts made her second guess her suitability to be a mother; I am just glad he finally convinced her it was alright to be scared of the future, but facing it together, they can totally emerge Victors at the other side of any obstacle... Just like you and me would..." He took her hand and brought it his lips.

She reached up to caress his face, and he leaned into her touch. She closed the space between them and kissed his lips softly.

"I apologize for my reaction," she said against his lips, "I just... Hate this feeling of having to compete with your past. It is exhausting. I want to trust you, I really do..."

He kissed her hard, "I will work hard to be worthy of your trust, I swear!" Then he was kissing her deeper.

Somebody cleared their throat at them. As usual, he tighten his hold on her as she tried to jump back from him, and relented. They both turned to see who interrupted them. It was an amused looking Dame Mason.

"His Grace and the Lady are requested back at the banquet tables." She smirked, "They have brought in that roasted boar of yours, and need the hosts to carve it... But I can tell them that you are... _Indisposed_ , if you rather stay here and suck face like a pair of naughty Teenagers... Well... At least one of you is still a teen." The smirk seemed to deepen. Peeta glared at her.

"We will come carve the blasted boar" Peeta said morosely, letting go of her waist reluctantly.

He offered his hand to her, but she just squeezed it, and asked if she could have a minute alone with Johanna. He nodded curtly. "I will be waiting for you by the beverage table." He walked away from the two ladies.

Johanna's smirk intensified, turning into some kind of twisted mischievous smile. "So, Brainless... Did you and the Duke finally made some progre..." Johanna 'ooomp'ed' air out of her nose. Katniss' whole body had lunged forward enveloping her into a bear hug.

It startled her dumb for a second, and then slowly she brought her slim toned arms around her friend's shaking frame.

"Shhh, shhhh, there, there... It is alright, little brainless" she said patting her over the back soothingly. "It cannot be that bad, if you are still passionately kissing..." She said awkwardly.

"Is not that... I'm just... So... Happy. So relieved, it was not you!" She mumbled into her friend's shoulder.

"Al...right..." She said clearly confused.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Katniss straightened out of the embrace to see the older woman's face.

"Uh... You are very welcome... For whatever it is that I did right towards you!" She stated, looking at Katniss quizzically.

"Is not what you did, but what you did not do!... Thank you for not sleeping with him!" She finally said, and understanding filled Johanna's gaze.

"Of course..." She muttered so softly, it was more to herself than an actual response, "Dear Peet, told you about Lady Odair... I was wondering when that bomb would be launched." She said a little annoyed, "Why do it here, beats me."

"I... Sort of, wrestled out of him" she said sheepishly, releasing Johanna from her hug, and looking at the floor.

"Ugh! Brainless! Why must you keep doing shit like this? Honestly, you two belong together... You are a stubborn, impossible, infuriating, pair!" She said frustrated.

"Either way... I am glad it was not you! I know is silly, and is in the past... But, to me... It... Well... I do not quite know, why it means so much to me, but it does" she replied as if her friend had not just rolled her eyes at her.

"Well, you can rest assured it will never happen either. He and the other two idiots were my only friends for a long while, during the hardest time of my life. I do love him to death, but sometimes I have the urge to strangle him... And there is the glaring detail that, He is not... particularly, My type... If that helps any." She said in a more serious tone.

"What is your type then?" asked Katniss with a curious smile.

Johanna smirked again. "Tall, dark and handsome... A touch of brooding and hot-headedness... Throw in a little stubbornness and fire... Then you have my dream guy" she said looking at her friend.

"Does such man actually exist?" She beamed at Johanna.

"Oh, of course he exists! Why I just saw him about 30 minutes ago, looking clearly out of place and... Moody, if you can believe that!" She said laughing, Katniss snickered with her. Then suddenly, Johanna, coiled her arm with Katniss', and pulled her into the bustling hall.

"Come, I am hungry, and there is a piece of pork with my name written on it, somewhere in this room!" then both of then walked towards a waiting and smiling Peeta.

 

======================

 

Peeta stood behind the table, where all the party goers could see, the displayed roasted boar, laid on a bed of leafy greens and cherry tomatoes. They had garnished it with an apple in its mouth that had been pierced through with an arrow.

He raised his wine glass, and daintily dinged a fork against it, calling everyone's attention to himself. Once the hubbub had subsided, he spoke loudly, projecting his voice as far as he could over the crowd.

"Welcome all to the Yuletide Festival at Winter Home! We are honored each of you had so kindly graced us with your presence!" Everybody broke into applause and 'here-here' cheers. "We bid you, eat and drink to hour heart’s desire. Enjoy the music and the activities laid out around the grounds outside. Be merry and joyful! And to officially open the main dishes table, I would like to invite, my Beautiful companion, Lady Katniss, to join me in the carving of this delectable looking boar, who has gained its place of honor by her own hand!" The crowed started to share hushed murmurs all around. Katniss had fit of shyness just then, but Haymitch pushed her not very gently to stand by Peeta.

As soon as she reached him, blushing like never before, he grabbed her hand, and placed it around the carving knife, and then wrapping his own over hers. They made the first cut, slicing a piece of the skin and meat, of what now, qualified as pork, to everyone's deafening cheers. Both of them laughed and smiled widely.

They passed the carving knife to an awaiting waiter to continue the work, and Peeta addressed the crowd again.

"While we wait for the food to be laid out for our degustation, I would like to take this time, to announced to all of you, dear neighbors, denizens of Merch and Seam: starting next month, our beloved region will open the doors of our very own Healing Center!" The roar of cheers and claps was indescribable, the people were really grateful for the news. "Just this morning, I received the official word of acceptance from a very special person to fill the mantle of Director of the Center, she is a very experienced Healer and accomplished in homeopathic and natural medicine: Mrs. Everdeen!" He gestured towards the lady, who waved and bowed humbly. "She will be joined in tending to all who come to our Healing Center by her lovely apprentice, Miss Primrose Everdeen." As before, he gestured to Prim, who looked like a princess in her powder blue ball-gown; she gave a shy curtsy. Everyone in the room wanted to shake hands with the new, town healers. "The Healing Center will temporary operate from Baker's Place, until the permanent premises conclude building sometime in the next year. We will tend to people of all ages, and provide medical care to residents of Merch and Seam, no matter social status or wealth. And, because Mrs Everdeen has knowledge on how to produce natural medicines, we will offer it freely when possible to all who need them." another round of applause. "Mrs. Everdeen graciously, also informed me, that after her practice gets established, she might take more apprentices in the future, after her current one has mastered her trade. So, all you aspiring healers keep a wary eye out for her announcement in the next few years." Excited murmurs erupted everywhere; this meant more independence from the Capitol and the Crown. All the people saw the great opportunities, and were grateful.

"And before I leave you to enjoy the rest of the festivities in peace. I have a surprise for my Lady Katniss, who has been a blessing sent from heaven, here at Winter Home!" There was some applause scattered around the assembly.

Katniss who had been as surprised as the rest of the guests when he announced that her mother had accepted to take the position of Head Healer in the local Center, was now blushing furiously, embarrassed to be put in the spot once again. She could not tear her eyes from the polished floor. And she had no idea what was about to come out of Peeta's mouth.

"As you all know, I was an avid sportsman back in my school days. I used to practice a variety of sports: wrestling, horse-riding, fencing... Swimming, although I was ghastly at it, to the point I would sink like a boulder if you threw me over board by surprise!" People laughed at his self-deprecating joke. "But, the sport I enjoyed the most, and stuck with me, until it became my way of life, is Hunting, as you are all, already aware." More laughter, "So it was an extremely pleasant surprise, when I discovered that my lovely Katniss was as avid and accomplished hunter as well... Our... styles are a little different; Lady Katniss excels at stealth, and is a terrific archer... Her marksmanship is just awe inspiring, as you can clearly see with this specimen, which she felled on her own, with little trouble after she was charged by it by surprise" He pointed at the now half way carved boar. "And my way of hunting differs in that I use the assistance of hounds and horses, during my expeditions. I was fortunate enough to get, my Lady's word that she would try to learn how to hunt my way... And to help her with this endeavor, I would be honored to present her, with her very own..." He motioned to Thresh, who was standing in front of a curtain held up by two of the stable boys, concealing whatever surprise Peeta had for her. The curtain parted and Thom dressed as smartly as any gentleman in the room, stepped forward... Katniss squealed in delight, and the rest of the women 'oohed' and 'aaawwwed' at the white tiny foal Thom was carrying in his arms, and the long eared hound puppy trailing after him excitedly.

"Horse and Hound!" Peeta finished his sentence.

"Oh, my Lord! They are beautiful!" She squealed again, she gave him a quick hug and a very hard kiss on the cheek, before rushing to the animals. Thom put down the foal so she could pet it, and the puppy that she now noticed was tethered to Thom's belt by a red leash, started to bark and hop playfully to her delight. She did not know which to touch first; she finally put the dog on her lap and caressed the baby horse that had laid down next to her. The foal could not be more than 2 days old, a fact that was confirmed by Thom, when he approached her, and gently informed her; he had to return it to its mother in the stables. She nodded in understanding, and stood up from where she had crouched to meet her pets.

"Before you take them away..." She looked at Peeta and extended her hand, wanting him to join her side, which he promptly did. "What are their names?" She asked, holding Peeta's hand and entwining their fingers together.

Peeta laughed loudly, "My Lady, I would not dare name any animal after you had so mercilessly mock my naming choices. No, that is an honor I bestow only upon you, as their new... Mother..." He said the word mother quietly, almost shyly; then he added in a whisper, "They could be your only children, if you so decide. I would gladly be their Father." She smiled at him sweetly and squeezed his had tightly.

"Then I accept the challenge!... They need appropriate Winter Home names... I noticed the pup is female, how about the foal?" She asked Thom.

"Also female, my lady." He answered softly; his trademark easy smile made her noticed how handsome he was. She grined at him.

"In that case... It is decided! I name thee, oh most majestic of all four legged beasts: Fortuna!" She curtsied to the tiny sleepy horse. "And you! Most loyal in the animal kingdom, will be known as: Diana!" She said to the puppy, that was happily moving its legs comically while dangling in her hands right in front of her face. This puppy, she knew was about 7 weeks old, from a litter of Basset Hounds she had actually tended to.

Both Peeta and Thom laughed in approval of the animals given names. After Katniss tied red ribbons to both her pets, she allowed Thom to take them away.

"Now, my good people please enjoy your time during our Festival celebration; do not forget to take a ride around our grounds on the horse sleigh! And once more, thank you for accompany us tonight!... Now, let us have some dancing!" With that he pulled Katniss by the hand to the dance floor, where he twirled her around making her gown sparkled giving the illusion of flames raising and falling over her body. They were having a magnificent time together, dancing and laughing.

Prim, Johanna and Annie joined them in an all-girls dance, where they all locked arms together making a circle turning fast round and around... At one point, Annie noticed how Katniss' smiles to her seem a little forced, so after their song was over, she pulled her to the side, leaving their companions to their own devices.

"My sweet Lady, Katniss... May I inquired if I had done something to cause you discomfort? I have noticed a change in your demeanor towards my person. If I have done anything, please know, it was not my intention to discommode you in any way." The older lady peered at her seriously.

Katniss, breathed deeply, and braced herself to tell this very pregnant woman, what she had done to make Katniss uncomfortable around her.

"My Lady Odair... I-I want to start by reiterating my high regard for you. You have been, nothing but gracious and accepting of me, and if I could be so bold to say, you are a very interesting and entertaining companion... I do apologize if I have behaved strangely in your presence tonight. I will make an effort to rectify it; please do not think poorly of me. I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." She hoped she did not have to go further, and that Lady Odair, would accept her detail lacking explanation... She had no such luck.

"So, there is something bothering you after all?" Annie pressed. "Please... If we are to be friends, and I know we will, we need to be able to be transparent with each other."

"I... Umm... It is nothing to be concerned about. I was just being silly earlier, and it is already over and done..."

"Peter told you about us..." It was not a question. Katniss took a shuddering breath, and nodded, averting her face, for a moment.

"Look, Katniss, dear... I thought I had feelings for him, and maybe I did for a little short time. But, he never returned his affections in the same manner. He was heartbroken and mourning, and I was confused. After sometime away from each other, things became clear to me, and I realized I loved Finnick... Truly loved him, with all my heart. It took a lot of work to get to where we stand now. And Peeta by some wonderful miracle stayed our friend." Her gaze was penetrating, and Katniss felt ashamed for acting weird around her. "Katniss, Peeta loves you, even more passionately than he loved his first sweetheart. I can say with all confidence that I have never seen him this happy before. He has never gazed at any woman with as much love and longing as he gazes at you... And I should know, I have met all of his conquests... None of them hold a candle to you, my dear, be sure of that..." She shifted on her feet, trying to decide something. "I am not sure, if I am supposed to share this or not, but, Peeta and Fin are studying the laws regarding marriage, in order to divorce Cashmere and be able to marry you. Mark my words, Peeta Mellark will persist, until you are his wife." Annie offered her a small smile that Katniss returned.

"I know he will... And I am not sure, if I should be exhilarated or terrified. All I know is that, I want to make him as happy as he makes me..." Suddenly she got rudely interrupted.

"That should be easy enough, my lady... A hint!... What really makes him happy in bed is to take his companion roughly and fast! Oh the exquisite nights I spent in his soft bed, between silk sheets and that beautiful, mahogany tall headboard, that I was sure he would break against the wall every time he got carried away! He made me feel so alive those nights!" came the snide voice of Delly Cartwright. "He used to drive himself so hard into me, I would be sore for days!" She exclaimed proudly. "I am sure you have the same delicious problem!" She poked.

Johanna happened to look at the group of women, and saw Annie's expression, a mixture of revulsion, anger and nervousness. She and Johanna locked gazes then. And she knew she needed to save Delly from getting her head ripped off.

"Blondie, fetch Peeta... Katniss might commit murder if we don't get her out of here!" Prim who was pink faced with exertion from dancing, looked up at her sister and saw her sister's fists clenching and unclenching, her eyes were an inferno that was barely contained. She rushed to find Peeta at once. A feat that was increasing in difficulty as she tried to navigate the mass of twirling people on the dance floor, while wearing a dress that was three times puffier than anybody else's in this event.

Meanwhile, Johanna had arrived to dissipate the conflict, before it could escalate.

"Oh, there you are, my Lady! I have been looking for you! I was hoping you and Lady Odair would join Miss Everdeen and I, in that horse-pulled ride, His Grace has been blabbing about!" She said cheerfully, completely ignoring the curvy blond in the circle.

"Oh, what an excellent idea Dame Mason! I say, we should go right away, before I need another break to use the wash room... We should get us some refreshments as well! Come now, dear Katniss." Annie said taking a tight hold of Katniss' arm where it bent at the elbow. Johanna followed the motion and held the other arm, less forcefully, and started to drag Katniss away. It would have been alright, if stupid Delly, had not open her big mouth.

"We should get together and swap stories, next time you are in town, Miss Everdeen."

Johanna felt the movement a little too late, Katniss had broken away from both women and had charged at Delly, who now looked surprised to see this ball of fire rushing in her direction, ready to collide with her.

But Katniss stopped right when her nose touched the other woman's nose, towering over her dangerously; she started talking fast and very low.

"Listen very carefully Miss Cartwright. Peeta is mine, and only mine. I will not swap stories with you, or any of his bimbos. You are not to flirt with him, or touch him, or even look at him, you get me? I will run you through with my arrows if you ever insinuate yourself to him again, mark my words... And trust me, I will know; even if I am not present to see it for myself, I will know... He keeps no secrets from me; He can't, for you see... I have him, wrapped tightly around my little finger" she whispered the last sentence, separating from the terrified woman, lifting her fisted hand, making a production out of showing her, her pinky finger.

Suddenly she was being hoisted by the waist, and turned in a 180 angle. She knew who's arms were wrapped around her middle, so she turn another 180 degrees until she was facing him, and just like that, she claimed his mouth, at the very edge of the crowded dancing floor. Her kiss was possessive and aggressive; Peeta allowed her mark her territory publicly in this manner. But, because he knew, she would be mortified for her actions in an hour; he gently and subtly broke the embrace. Delly was nowhere to be found.

"Peeta... I want that bed, and the mattress and sheets, pillows, covers... Anything that, that... Woman touched to be burned in a symbolic pyre tonight! I will not sleep in the same bed you fucked any of your... Other women" the flames in her eyes where still raging, he dared not contradict her. But he cleared his throat to gather some courage.

"Yes dear. I will have the bed, mattress, etcetera, burned... Just so you know that although I still have those furnishings here in the house, they are not the same ones currently in our chamber. I... I actually could not sleep in that bed after I broke it off with her. It was too uncomfortable. It made me feel dirty somehow" They were facing each other, she had crossed her arms over her chest petulantly, while he placed a hand on her hip, and used the other one to scrubbed his face.

"Well you should feel dirty!..." She seethed "I want it all gone!" She demanded like a bratty little girl "Not a trace of her or any other woman!"

"As you wish." He said, his lips forming a straight line.

This night had been a roller-coaster of emotions, he just hoped, all the surprises where done for the time being, and they could go back to enjoy themselves. The odds certainly were not in their favor.

"Catnip?" A deep male voice sounded to their side. Katniss seem to have recognized it, judging by how fast her head turned in the voice's direction.

Peeta saw a tall, handsome, Knight, standing in front of them. His hand rising slowly as if to try and brush his fingers over her, as if he was not quite sure she was real. The awestruck look in his eyes roaming over her, made Peeta uncomfortable.

"You look like a vision..." The knight whispered.

"Gale? Is that you? How... What-what are you doing here?" She had slowly and methodically dislodged from Peeta's grasp, and turned to face the new comer. Then suddenly, she leapt into the man's arms and he spun her around once.

Peeta stood there, frozen to the spot, unable to look away from his Sweetheart, who had just all but ordered him to destroy his property, out of jealousy, jump into some stranger's embrace. He could not decide if he was angry, scared, or confused... Maybe all three simultaneously.

As soon as her feet touched floor again, she took a step back to look the man more fully. Now that Peeta could make his brain think coherently he recognized the man as the guest Mr. Latier brought with him from the Capitol. Mr. Latier had introduced him as Sir Hawthorne, Captain of the Palace Guard... 'Here on leave', Mr. Latier had said. Peeta he vaguely remembered, he thought the name sounded familiar, but since his mind had been elsewhere, preoccupied with Katniss' absence, he heeded no attention to his nagging feeling. He was now, racking his brain, extra hard, to try and remember, where and why exactly, he knew this name... It hit him when the man mentioned he had found her mother in the crowd to congratulate her for her new position.

This man is the one that proposed to his Girlfriend! He is, or was the competition, and right now, she was completely engrossed in whatever he was saying, while he had been left forgotten, not two feet away, and completely excluded from their conversation. It was his turn to feel murderous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After her shock at seeing her best friend and ex-hunting partner standing in front of her, wearing his Knight formal wear, she was so excited to see his familiar face that without thinking about it, she lunged forward to embrace him. She got a little startled when he gave her that spin, and suddenly realized how inappropriate the whole display was. So when he stopped, she quickly pulled away.

She was about to turn around to grab at Peeta's hand, to pull him towards her, so she could introduce them to each other. It was only fair; after all, she had met and spent time with his friends. But, Gale started talking a mile a second, without allowing her room to do anything else, but stand there listening. Suddenly she felt the familiar, hand on her waist, and both her hands, went there to meet it and hold it in place.

She unconsciously, leaned into Peeta, and he felt a primal possessiveness, he tightened his hold on her with a devilish glint in his eye. If he had been an animal, he probably would have shown his fangs and growled hitting his chest with both fists, like a gorilla, displaying his dominance. This was his woman, and he had to make that completely clear to his rival.

Gale was not as good as Peeta, when it came to hiding his emotions from showing on his features. Peeta could see the anger and hurt building up, in the younger man's eyes. He also saw his hand twitch over his dagger, but at this point, Peeta was confident he would be able to deflect any attack from this mass of brimstone and flames. Not a very good combination, there was an inherent danger of burning up even the things you did not intended to burn, if not careful.

So, Peeta smiled amicably. And to his eternal vindication, Katniss raised a hand backwards to touch his cheek lightly, a gesture that sent Sir Gale into a shaking fit, he almost could not contain... Katniss, of course, seemed unaware of her suitor's ever growing rage, so she finally started to talk, clearly oblivious of the silent testosterone battle going on between the two men.

"My Lord, I was about to call for you! I would like to introduce you to a beloved family friend!" ' _Ouch! She just went there, effectively showing Gale, where he stood in her life, in one innocent sentence'_. She tried to smile at Gale, but her smile faltered when she saw the deep, deep scowl and the disapproval in his hard grey eyes.

"Um, M-my Lord, this is..."

"Sir Gale Hawthorne! We were already properly introduced, my dear. Sir Hawthorne came as Mr. Beetee Latier's guest." He responded jovially, giving them his most winning smile.

"Beetee Latier, the inventor?" She asked in surprise, standing straighter "But when did you meet? How did I miss it?"

"You were in the study. If I had known Sir Hawthorne was a family friend of yours, I would certainly have informed you of his presence in our Festival, sooner. I apologize, My Lady. But, now that I know who he is to you, I will make sure to not lose him from my sight!" He said with a pleasant grin; Gale had finally managed to mastered his rising temper.

"Yes, Your Grace, the Lady and I have been friends for a very long time. You may say we were family. Truth be told, many people thought we were, are at least on the path of becoming family." He forced the words out of his mouth.

"That is because you look so similar, Captain... Might as well be siblings!" Said Johanna with a hard stare, both Peeta and Katniss had forgotten about their previous companions.

"Captain!" exclaimed Katniss with a grin. "I heard you got a promotion but I did not know you were named Captain! Congratulations!" She beamed at him; he did not returned her enthusiasm.

"Yes, well, I was going to surprise you, when you returned home... And no, Dame Mason, Katniss and I have no blood ties; I was referring at our failed betrothal." Gale spat, of course Peeta's only reaction was to squeeze Katniss hip, while her reaction was a lot more explosive.

"What in blazes are you talking about, Gale? You know very well, we were never betrothed, I told you I did not want to marry when you asked the first time, and I am still not entirely sure I want to marry now!" She tried to keep her voice low, as to not call attention to themselves, but, when you are the most interesting thing in a party, not being noticed is hard to achieve.

Without facing Peeta, she said, "If it is alright with my Lord, I would like to have a private discussion with Captain Hawthorne" Peeta really did not want her to talk to this man alone, for what he had seen, he would not keep his temper in check, but Katniss was determined to speak with her... Friend. Reluctantly, he let go of her waist, and offered her his study for privacy, which she declined... She did not want to get cozy with Gale during this confrontation. So, she guided another guest to the spare study, for a conversation she really did not wanted to have; this time Peeta insisted Thom, stayed guard outside the door for her.

Once behind closed doors, Gale pounced in attack, before she even had time to offer him a seat.

"What are you doing, Katniss?" He was breathing hard, his chest heaving up and down with the effort of trying to keep himself from completely losing it on her.

"To what do you refer? At the moment I have abandoned my hosting duties, not to mention I am missing the very own Festival, I have tirelessly worked day and night, to put together, in celebration of Yuletide, just so you can have your little temper tantrum in private!" She bit out angrily.

"Oh, so all this... Grandeur and pomp is your doing? All this excess and waste of coin in lavishness, is what you have been working on all this time?" He said in mocked admiration. "Well, My Lady! I would not have expected any less of you! I also see that now that you belong to the aristocracy, you have adopted the upper-class' moral values as well!" Katniss eyes burned, she felt herself shake with unreleased rage.

"What... Is that, supposed to mean... My dear friend, do tell!" She spoke slowly, measured, a calm before the storm.

"Katniss, you are letting that man..." He struggled for words desperately "You-you accepted his gifts, like is not an overstepping of propriety with an unattached maiden! He held your hand in public... Put his hands on you, kissed you on the lips... It is immoral!... He is MARRIED, Katniss!" He screamed in frustration, "I should know! I have to escort his... Strumpet of a... Wife, from the Palace, back to her abode on a daily basis! Everyone knows she and that friend of hers, Lady Glimmer spend their evenings cavorting together with the King and the Prince... It is abhorrent..." He was gasping for air, his anger finally spilling out, his fire devouring everything in its path. "But I guess, it should not surprise me, they are both the same, the Duke and the Duchess... sinners... degenerates... And-and they are corrupting you into their perverted life style... You! My beautiful... Pure Catnip... They are turning you into a harlot..." His voice broke at the word harlot.

Katniss had had it, "That is enough!" She growled, "You will not talk to me that way Gale Hawthorne!"

The door flew open, and a very serious looking Thom, stood filling the frame completely. "Is everything alright, my Lady?" He asked with hardness in his voice. For a man who was always so jovial and nice, he could pull menacing very well, when prompted.

"I am alright, Mr. Thom, thank you. Sir Hawthorne just forgot himself for a minute there, but, he will behave and watch his tongue from now on, unless he wants to be forcibly removed from the premises... Is that not right, Sir Hawthorne?" Her voice did not give an inch to debate. Gale who now had tears in his eyes nodded.

"Forgive me, my Lady." He gasped. "For what I..."

"It is alright, Thom. You can stay at the other side of the door; I will call for you if necessary." She cut Gale to addressed Thom.

"I will be here then, my Lady" he bowed, and closed the door after himself. Katniss turned to her friend with renewed aggressiveness.

"Gale, I will not allow you or anyone to insult me in my own house! You have gone too far! The Duke and Duchess are nothing alike, you do me and His Grace a terrible disservice by clumping us together with that sick woman!..."

"Your house? You call this your house?... You do not belong here Katniss, you belong with me, back home! This man is just using you for his sick pleasure..."

"Stop it Gale! This IS my house, I am Lady of Winter Home, and He is not using me, I am his legal Concubine, so if he gives me presents, or holds my hand or kisses me, it is his right to do so. I signed a legally binding contract saying so!" She spat at him stomping around the small room. "So you can stop with the name calling and the unjust judging, I am here of my free will, I am a big girl, Gale, I chose to be Peeta's companion..."

"You call him by his name, like you are his equal? He is playing with you Katniss! Whatever you are giving him in return... I will not judge, I know how bad your situation was, I am still willing to marry you... even if he has used you and defiled you, when your contract is up, I will forgive you, I will take you in, I swear!"

"SHUT UP!" She was livid, she was shaking like a leaf all over, her eyes were about to bulge out, her hands in fists. Her outburst made Gale cowered and step back a few paces. "You forgive me? You forgive me? For what? You condescending Ass! For doing whatever I had to do to protect my family? To protect Prim?... That is rich!" She screeched. "I do not need your forgiveness, I do not want it, but if you need to know so terribly much, I will inform you, that Peeta has never touched me improperly. He has not lain with me, he has respected me, protected me, he has provided for my every need. And not just me, he paid off our debtors, we got our house free of mortgages and leans, he will pay for Prim's education... And he has never, not once, asked for my virtue, nor has he forced himself upon me." She was red in the face, and her breaths were coming short and labored.

"I cannot allow you, to put my benefactor, and his wife in the same category. It is unfair. And you are being unfair to me as well... So let me make this perfectly clear to you, so if you decide to keep on insulting me and my Master, you would at least have bases to do it... I am a Concubine. I will give myself to my Master, at some point... I will do it voluntarily, and gladly. And since my contract is open-ended, I predict I will stay by his side for a long time. And unlike your assumptions, he did not ask for me or a Concubine in general, that horrible woman got me for her own selfish reasons. But, I had the good fortune that he genuinely cares about me, enough to go out of his way to trust me with his most beloved possession: his house." She was starting to regain her composure, but Gale looked like had been hit in the gut. His pain was etched all over his features.

"Catnip, please..." He begged, tears streaming from his eyes. "Do not say you will give yourself to him... You are supposed to be my wife an mothered my children." His voice finally reaching a reasonable volume.

"Why Gale? Why, this persistent notion that I am supposed to end up your spouse?" She asked tiredly rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and two fingers.

"Because, we are good together... We-we used to be able to read each other so well; we used to be able to anticipate the other's actions... You are my best friend, and I love you." He said, baring his soul to her.

"You are my best friend too, Gale... And I love you too, but... Not enough to wed. If I ever had to marry you, it would be out of loyalty, or obligation... Not out of love. We would condemn ourselves to a life of misery and unhappiness. We are a better team as just friends." She said softly.

She approached him, and wiped his cheek of his tears. But, she never saw this kind of thing coming. In one swift move, Gale had locked his hand around her wrist, and yanked her flushed to his body. He trapped her face in his free hand, and kissed her passionately. She could not believe how soft his lips were, how warm, and moist. His hand slacked his hold, and she gently pushed away from him, breaking the kiss.

She just stared at him, betrayed, angry and sad. She finally ripped his hand from her wrist.

"Gale..."

" _ **I had to do that... At least once.**_ " He said softly, his grey eyes, so similar to hers shimmering with tears. "I will ask you again, just one last time. And I will need a definitive answer this time... Marry me, Catnip..." He whispered, face hopeful.

She pursed her lips, regret in her eyes, for having to hurt her friend this way, on Yuletide.

"I... I can't... I... I am... I am in love... I love. Ugh!... I gave my word, I would wait for him, to be free from his sham of a marriage. I will marry him, when he is divorced... I am so sorry, Gale. I really am." She was sincere, he knew it, and he could read it in her eyes... He had always been able to read her, like an open book.

Gale released a stuttering sigh, in defeat. "Do not fret, my Lady. I am a knight of the King's court. I will be fine... I-I have to go see your Mother now... I will officially withdraw my marriage proposal, before the night has closed. I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable, and for insulting you. It is the Duke I do not trust. He will never be good enough for you, and as selfish as this sounds, he will never love the same way I do." He tried to keep his voice leveled.

"He is good man, Gale. He will be good for me, he will treat me right. But I agree, neither of you would ever love me the same way the other does. I am confident, that whatever it is you feel for me, you will feel tenfold, when you meet your perfect match!"

"I already met her. She just... slipped through my fingers..." With that he took two long strides to the door, and left her there, staring at the spot he had just vacated. She did not see him anymore that day. But, she took some time to mourn over her friend’s departure, before going back to Peeta, and the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotes from 'The Hunger Games', and 'Catching Fire', (film and books) in italics / bold.
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> As Katniss' dress... Think of Princess Kate's wedding dress in red. As for Prim's dress, think Cinderella sans the side wing puffies. 
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> Look up my Christmas piece "Frost" in the next few days! 
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> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays... Etc... Wishing you get everything you asked for! Love you all! Stay warm and cozy!
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> I originally thought to give Katniss a Beagle, but ultimately chose a Basset Hound... It seem more a Katniss kind of hunting dog than a yapping beagle. Both breads hunt small prey, and are use for foot hunting. But the Basset is a little more reserved and regal, and a little stubborn, when it finds a scent. What do you guys think?


	14. Yule Festival: Partying with The Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters of The Hunger Games, nor the locations.
> 
> Another mammoth of a chapter ahead, I have to Thank abk1973 for being an amazing Beta! She had some very helpful suggestions to better this chapter, and I truly love her writing... If you want a break from gloom and doom, I recommend, you look up her amazing Fic: 'I knew this would have happened Anyway', where the odds are in Everlark's favor!!!

 

It was close to 10:00, when the last party goer shook Peeta's hand and praised him for great Yule Festival Celebration. The night had been draining at most and he was absolutely ready to call it a night, but Katniss had insisted on throwing The Help a small party right after the formal one with the rest of the town.

The way she winced, when Thresh came to informed them that the barn had been readied for the other party, right about now showed she was regretting it as well.

The barn had been cleared of animals; it had been cleaned from top to bottom. Food laden tables, lined the wall to the left, and a table with beverages (Ale and mead, mostly) sat adjacent to it, forming an L shape. The most experienced amongst the men set roaring fires in contained tin drums, to bring some heat into the barn. Hay bales were placed alongside the walls, for seating. Now this might be a barn, but, the women had it decorated with garlands and pine cones everywhere, the place looked actually very festive and inviting. Some of the younger girls had hung boughs of mistletoe over door frames, hay bales, and corners. A few of them, had made it their job to map them out in their minds, so later they could corner a youth they liked under one of the mistletoe branches, for a Yuletide kiss.

Katniss had told her employees, that they could invite their families to their Festival, they had hired the Carnival booths until midnight, and they would switch out to well rested horses, for the sleigh rides. They would offer hot cider, and hot cocoa. Katniss had commissioned the candy shop to provide all the candy canes, gingerbread houses and gingerbread boys and girls they could make to give to the children that attended.

She also had made little loot bags, with little rag dolls or wooded toy cars. The women had been knitting little scarves, mittens and hats, and Katniss had put at least one of each item in the loot bags along with the toys. She knew it was not a whole lot, but for a little child that might not get a gift this season for lack of coin this might be the only shred of cheer they could get. So she scraped together what she could to leave coin enough to get the little presents... She barely had enough in the end, but she was not wrong, for many of the children this would be the only gift they would get, and she was glad she could do something nice for them.

She and Peeta, had not had a chance to speak alone after the Gale debacle. Mainly, because she was steering away from the conversation. Truth be told, she was nervous about his reaction upon his learning about all that had happened between her and her former friend. She knew the time was running out, and she needed to confess to Peeta what had happened. She knew Thom was bound to be interrogated by him soon enough. And she knew Thom would try to deflect the conversation as long as he could, but in the end, he would spill all the beans. She had to bridge that gap, before it was bridged for her.

Since this was an informal party, Peeta was supposed to addressed all his employees once to: welcome them into the barn, and direct them to the food and drink. Then, he would speak again, once he had decided to retire for the evening, and bid them all good night. They did not expect the Festival to completely end when they left, but they were sure most of the attendees would go home or back to their quarters soon after. Most of the house staff had been given 2 days to go visit with their families, in celebration of the Festival and upcoming New Year. The next 2 days, Katniss herself would be doing all the housekeeping with minimal help. Remaining in the house was: Sae, who decided to stick around and get her two off days later; Rue, who really had to work to send coin to her family, and Bristle and Leevy, who decided, going home to their respective towns for only 2 days was impractical, as they would have to spend at least half a day traveling back and forth.

Effie accompanied them for a few minutes after Peeta's welcoming speech, then she excused herself and went back to the house for the night. Mrs. Everdeen followed suit a few minutes after Effie had retired to bed, she had expected Prim to follow after her, but the young maid refused, actually appealing to Peeta in order to finagle support to get her mother to allow her to stay behind.

"I really am not satisfied that Katniss is staying as it is, Primrose! But I know it is her responsibility to be here, hosting this celebration. You on the other hand, are much too young to be out of the house at this time of night!" Mrs. Everdeen told her youngest daughter frowning.

"Pe... Your Grace, would you please tell Mother that is alright for me to stay? You will be here! You can be my chaperone!" She whined at him.

Peeta looked back and forth between Prim and her mother. Mrs. Everdeen scowled, clearly annoyed that Peeta had any say not only over Katniss, but now also over Prim. Sensing this, he only said "I will support your Mother's decision Miss Everdeen, if she decides you can stay, then I will watch over you, but if she decides is best for you to head to bed, then I will not go against her wishes!"

"You are such a traitor!" She whispered at him through gritted teeth. She turned around, to see a mollified Mrs. Everdeen nod in agreement to the Duke. "Mother please! I will not ask for anything else for the rest of the year!" she said hopeful.

"Well, when you put it that way! Now that there are only a few days left in the year, this sounds like and excellent bargain!" Mrs Everdeen said sarcastically with a furrowed brow. "But if it means so much to you, and his Grace gives me his word, he will be watching you constantly; then I guess you can stay for another hour..." Prim's face was slowly spreading into a smile, but her mother pressed on before her daughter got carried away, " _One_ hour, Primrose! Only one! And you will listen to the Duke! If he sends you into the house, you will obey without opposition! Do we have an accord?" Prim jumped to hug her mother, then Peeta, and then she was gone seeking Rue, who had become close to her while the girls had spent time together.

Annie dragged Finnick to the barn; for some reason, he was the one acting heavy and pregnant, waddling after his wife, while she had a spring in her step, she was exuding energy, and it was just strange seeing her actually wanting to move around like a floating soap bubble. Johanna went to change into her trousers as soon as she saw the last vestige of town's people and other important guests leave. Her hair was freed from the ties and fixing gel she wore earlier; she was even sporting an overly large knitted sweater, with snowflake patterns... This was ironic, as it almost never snowed in Merch... Seam? Sure! Sieben? Absolutely! Quattro and the Capitol? Every stinking day of winter! But Merch, was not known for having snow precipitation, and Katniss found she rather like it that way.

Johanna was not the only one who got into more comfortable attire, Haymitch had left his jacket in the house, his vest was unbuttoned and he was wearing the coat he usually wore for hunting. Peeta, had methodically gotten more comfortable as well... He first lost the ascot and diamond tack, stuffing then deep in his trousers’ pocket. He immediately undid the top three buttons of his white shirt. After the speech he had run his hand through his hair so much, it was as messy as ever. Ten minutes later, he shrugged off his coat, jacket, and vest... He quickly located a nail on one of the walls, he clearly knew where it was located before hand, and hung them all on it. At the end of 20 minutes, he looked like everyday Peeta Mellark, during a break from their chores with his men. Long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, blond locks sticking out in every which way, and an easy smile on his lips. Only the stark whiteness of his shirt and the slickness of his dressy pants, betrayed him from having been at an upscale party earlier on. But every now and then, his shoulders would tense up, every time he looked Katniss’s way. When she caught him looking at her she would immediately flit her gaze somewhere else. She looked troubled, and it was killing him not knowing what had happened between her and Captain Hawthorne.

Katniss was still in her original outfit; only a few strands of hair had escaped their confines, but she just looked even prettier like that. Prim, who was also still donning her powder blue ball-gown dress, had entirely unbound her blond long tresses. Every time her hair moved, a whiff of something flowery would leak out of it. She was every bit a little porcelain princess, and Thom could not take his eyes off of her, which Peeta noticed after a few minutes.

"Do not let Katniss find you staring at her little sister, my friend... She would unleash her wrath on you and I will just stand aside and let you have it!" Thom jumped at least a foot from the ground, he was so absorbed on Prim's sight, he did not notice Peeta had come to stand next to him. Peeta handed him one of two glasses of mead he had in his hands and Thom stared at his amused half smile with startled bulging eyes; he slowly took the glass he was offered, and brought it to his chapped lips, taking a generous gulp, he allowed the drink warm up his insides, before he spoke.

"It... It is not what you think..." He mumbled sheepishly.

Peeta arched an eyebrow, and with a serious expression commented, "Oh really? Tell me then, Mr Thom, did I not, just caught you gazing longingly at one, Miss Primrose Everdeen? Better known as my fifteen year old newly acquired Ward? Who by the way, is my Concubine's baby sister, and has the most, demented bad temper Merch has seen in ages?" Thom could not tell if there was an edge of amusement in Peeta's tone or not. For the first time in... ever he could not discern the emotion behind his Master's features.

"I... I was looking in her... general direction, yes... But, umm, it is not... is not... Like that, I swear" he sighed defeatedly. ' _It is much worse'_ he thought to himself.

"You are playing with fire, Thom. She is... What? Seven, eight years your junior? Not to mention Katniss will use you as target practice if she gets wind of this." Peeta was saying this honestly without a trace of accusation in his voice. Thom's derisive snort caught Peeta by surprise. He gave his friend and inquiring look, demanding an explanation.

Thom, placed his cup on a ledge behind them and released a humorless chuckle.

"Age difference! That is your discouraging argument, my Lord? Even if it was a 10 year gap, it would be a narrower gap than 12 years!" he said shaking his head, wearing a grimace on his face, looking out at the rest of the barn.

The only response Peeta was able to muster was to pursed his lips and breathe in deeply. This slight, coming from any other worker would result in immediate dismissal, but as it was Thom, the Duke just took the burn from the comment and bit his tongue, accepting that his argument was indeed, as hypocritical as it truly was.

"I am not an idiot Peeta... I know my place. I know where I stand... and I know she is too young, too angry and too confused, to be subjected to unwanted attention. She will undoubtedly, make a man a very happy husband someday, but I know it will not be me; so, you can save any reprimands you may have about the subject." He took up his drink again, and gulped another big swig, "Rest assured... this is nothing more than me feeling..." He stopped short mid-sentence, and shook his head as if to clear it, "The little spit fire... She has a way of sneaking up on you, endearing herself and burrowing deep into your soul. I will not deny that I feel protective of her... Hell, I will even admit that it is more than just protective I feel towards her... I keep watching how all these young Hands look at her, like they should be holding some kind of competition to see who she would dance with... you should be paying more attention to them you know." He sounded bothered, Peeta could not decide if it was jealousy he detected or plain annoyance at the stable boys, either way, it was clear that Thom was feeling bitter about Prim, and the longing in his gaze could not be mistaken for purely overprotection.

"Thom, I do not know what the hell is going on with you; but when you say _'you know your place'_ , it makes me think that truly you do not know, or at the very least understand how important you are to me... You are like the brother I never had; and yes, it is stupid of me to bring up your age difference, not to mention unfair, and hypocritical, except that she is still a minor. Other than that, if you ever felt incline to pursue any maiden, be it Primrose or any other girl, please know you will always have my blessing. Now, Katniss is a whole other sack of worms that we really do not want to disturb until strictly necessary." He sighed, "I will keep a wary eye out for the boys... But, Prim is a smart maid, she knows how to handle herself."

"I know" Thom threw the rest of his drink down his throat and went to procured himself another glass.

 

========================

 

During the celebration at the main house, there had been a few musicians, playing violin, a grand piano, harp, cello and even some percussion; but in this party a few of the men had offered to play their own instruments for dancing. There was a fiddler, a man tapping on buckets and tin cans as if they were bongos, there was also a banjo, and one of the girls brought the triangle Sae used in the kitchens, to signal the farm hands that food was served. The music was fast and lively; once more, Katniss had found herself going around and around, in the middle of the 'dance floor', with elbows locked with Prim on one side and Johanna on the other, and a very red-in-the-face Annie, who was laughing and having the time of her life, twirling and bouncing.

They have even called over Rue, Bristle and Leevy to join in their fun. They had called other girls, but they were either to shy, or too busy corralling cute boys under the mistletoe to be kissed to come and dance. Katniss had lost count of how many dances they had have, she knew, perfectly well she was stalling the conversation she knew would potentially angered Peeta... She was not prepared to hear him lash out, she had seen him angry at her once before, and still wore the marks of that awful encounter on her arms, of course she would delay this confrontation as long as possible, and finding pretexts to be apart from him during the celebrations, was actually a little too easy.

The song ended and the fiddler announced the impromptu band would be taking a short break to drink and eat, and would reconvene in 20 minutes time. All the dancers broke away from the center of the barn, where a big tarp was nailed to the dirt floor to provide for 'dance floor'. Katniss heard Leevy say between giggles, "Now that the Master has left Mr. Thom's side, it is my chance to stand under the mistletoe... Maybe we would even share a dance!" The girl took off skipping gleefully. ' _Well, that was new_ ’. She had no idea Leevy liked Thom... Then again, she had never been one to ‘notice these things', she also did not notice Prim's jaw locking in place, or the spark of all consuming fire that flickered in her angry blue eyes, nor the way her delicate fingers curled into her palm in a tight fist... No, she definitely, never noticed these things.

"I am parched! I am going to check on Finn and then find me a nice cup of something refreshing! Anyone like to accompany me?" said Annie heaving for air exaggeratedly. Both Johanna and Katniss readily agreed, they were all so thirsty, a nice glass of ale sounded like the best idea in the history of ideas at that moment. Prim, on the other hand, had become surly suddenly, the reason being, her big sister wrongly assumed, was she was annoyed that her dancing had been cut short and her hour was getting close to being up.

"Come Little Duck! We will find some other activity to pass the time before you have to head back inside!" So she held her sister's hand in hers, and pulled her behind her, leading her to the table with the beverages.

"I... I am not thirsty, Katniss... As a matter of fact, I think I will go mingle with some of my new friends!" She said, pulling away from her big sister. "I will be fine! Go have your drink!" She sent her a half smile that Katniss returned cautiously. ' _Maybe whatever is bothering Prim, was not the lack of dancing_ '.

"As you wish, I will come to collect you in a few minutes, so I can say goodnight to you before you head to bed!" Katniss said softly.

"Alright!... See you then!" Said Prim turning on her heel and walking away with purpose.

"We better keep all 6 of our eyes on that one!" Annie sighed.

"Mmm... I actually am curious to see what a jealous Blondie will do, after the show Brainless put on with that daft Delly Cartwright in the middle of the Festival Celebration" Johanna said eyes glued to the back of Prim's head, wearing an amused smirk. Katniss just looked at her confusedly,

"Whatever are you referring to?" She asked staring at Johanna in confusion, she saw both women exchanged an uncomfortable look, and then saw Johanna's expression go through an array of comical changes. 

"Ah shit... she did NOT just do that! Peter is going to rip the kid's head off!" Johanna said with eyes as big as saucers, before stalking off in the direction Prim had gone. Katniss, who had been looking at Johanna, had missed the whole event.

Prim had come to a group of youths gathered not three feet away from where a bout of mistletoe was inconspicuously hanging from a tall beam. She had noticed a few of the older maids, slowly pushing their way there, and acting surprised once they would point up to the small bunch of green leaves. At first she thought it was silly, she had even rolled her eyes at the other maids obviousness; but now, that she was right in front Thom and Leevy, who had just stepped out from under a bundle of the green stuff, Prim was fuming, from seeing how Leevy had planted a loud smacking kiss on a very flustered and taken aback Thom. Prim felt anger rising inexplicably inside her, so the first thing she thought of, was to grabbed that kid Gabriel, the one with the honey colored eyes, by the front of his flannel shirt, and pull him with her under the mistletoe, not even hinting to him of the plant above. She then smashed her lips against his, and then released the thoroughly surprised boy away from her in one harsh push; while her eyes where locked in on the hard grey ones, that belonged to the man at the other side of the barn.

Of course Peeta had seen the whole scene from his perch where he had been sharing a cup of spiked apple cider with the Baron and the Earl. He was on his feet crossing the barn before he even knew what the towheaded maid was about to do. He just stopped in his tracks, rooted to the ground, when he saw her lips connect with his stable boy's lips; he shook his head, as if trying to rid it from the image of Prim's first kiss being an act of jealousy and anger. The one thing that came to his mind was: ' _how the hell, am I to explain this to her Mother?'_ Squaring his jaw and shoulders, he stomped forward once more, just to be intercepted by an out of breath Dame Mason.

"Whoa there, tiger!" She said her hands splayed on his broad chest, while her feet locked into the ground effectively stopping him in place. "Let us not make things worse by starting a screaming match between you and little miss teenage hormones there... This is a girl's matter and should be addressed by women... You, sticking your nose in it will just create more problems." Her wide set eyes were expectant, but her voice was firm. "I think you will be better off, easing Katniss through finding out that her baby sister has developed an infatuation with Mr. Thom. I do not think she has noticed." Peeta nodded once.

"Just tell Prim... that her stunt has cost that kid his job in my house!" He said harshly, then turned on his heels and headed to a stunned looking Katniss, while Johanna went to a shaking Primrose. Her state had nothing to do with the cold winter night outside the barn's walls.

"Peeta? Wha-what is going on? What did I just see my sister do?" She asked him incredulously.

"She, umm... She..." He stuttered but Katniss interrupted him.

"She just kissed a boy? but, has not taken her eyes off... he has not taken his off of hers either... He looks so... Angry! I have never seen Thom angry before!" Katniss whispered peering around Peeta's shoulder. "What is going on Peeta?"

Peeta sighed, and then held her hand softly, "Come dear, let me try to see if we can explain this... I have no idea of what is going on in Prim's head, but, I believe she is a little infatuated with Thom." He lifted his hand to placate her, as she had already opened her mouth and peeled her eyes in surprise, "I had talked to Thom about Primrose... He... He is a good, honest man and he does not think himself good enough for a lady such as your sister, so he will stay away from her, not that I had to do much convincing, but..."

"Why would he not be good enough for a lady... or any woman for that matter?" She asked confusedly.

Peeta sighed again, and rubbed his hand over his face, his girl had a knack for always focusing in the most unexpected topics. "Katniss, he is a Farm Hand. He maybe second in command over all my employees, only after me. But, he is still a laborer, a no name; he lives in the barracks for God's sake! I consider him my brother, but he will not take advantage of that, not to climb higher on the societal scale, not to better his financial stance. He is proud of who he is, but at the moment, I think he is frustrated at the fate he was dealt in life." He said tiredly, "I really do not know, what Primrose is thinking, Katniss. But, I am going to have to fire that boy Gabriel for kissing my ward, I cannot allow that under my roof, plus I have no idea how am I going to tell your Mother..."

"No! Please do not fire the boy! His father is dead, his mother is sickly and with child about to give birth... The boy has three more siblings that will go hungry if he loses his wages here... Please, Peeta... I will assume all responsibility over the boy; he will only look after my foal and puppy... I will pay him myself if I have to... my wages are tainted anyways and doing this might be a better way to spread goodwill... Please... Think of that family. Who else would hire him and to do what, if they hear he was let go, because of the spoiled brat sister of Lady Winter Home? He will never find another job in Merch!" Her pleas were sincere and passionate. "I have been in his position before, he needs his income to support his family." Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

"Katniss... I cannot allow him stay, is not appropriate, and Prim has to learn that her actions have consequences that affect not only her but others around her as well... I will give him enough coin to sustain his family for three months..."

"And then what?" She interrupted, "What is he to do when the coin runs out, he is not a girl Peeta, he cannot become some person's Concubine to support his family like I did!" She was starting to get angry, "I swear, if you fire that kid, I will not speak to you ever again!" She threatened petulantly, he looked at her in surprise, she was acting like a brat again, and for the second time that night, it was working.

"Fine!" He exclaimed loudly, pulling at the roots of his hair in frustration. "You can have him! He will be your own personal farm hand, he answers to you, you will pay his salary from your own Concubinage earnings, once we get married and you lose your own income, you may pay him from your monthly allowance, or from coin you earn from your game. Is that acceptable to you?" He asked annoyed. She nodded quickly,

"Yes! Thank you, Peeta, thank you for allowing me this favor..." She kissed him on the cheek lightly. "Now, is it alright if I approach my sister to inquire what the hell was she thinking?" She asked, without really expecting him to say anything, she was about to start walking when he grabbed her hand.

"Sweetie... We need to talk ourselves, please do not delay too much; the sooner we get it out of the way, the happier we can be" he smiled softly at her, she could not respond in kind, so she nodded.

"I-I promise, we will talk soon... Before bed time? I just need to talk to Prim and make sure she does not do something even more stupid" She said fidgeting with her fingers, looking anywhere but at him. "I... I... I will be back soon!" she left, nervously. He did not like her reaction, not one bit.

Katniss approached the far corner of the barn, where Johanna, Annie and, not surprising Rue (the girls were inseparable) huddled around a distraught Prim, leaning against the angle where two walls coincided.

"He gifted me a fucking cat! A cat! In a tiny basket on a bed of flowers! How did he supposed I was going to take it? And then he is kissing that... That... That... _Awful_ Leevy, with her lopsided ear! Have you seen her ears? One is actually lower than the other! They look completely disproportionate! How can he even like her?... And she thinks her dark brown hair is so alluring! WELL, IT IS NOT! She has split-ends! I have seen them! Oh God... Peeta is going to kill me, I know he will, he is probably concocting a most cruel and unusual punishment for me, wait and you will see! He is going to be livid! He will send me to a nunnery! I can see it now!" She was crying, speaking so fast, she kept choking on her own spit, snot oozing from her nose freely, she kept trying to wipe the mess up with her gown sleeves, but Johanna kept slapping her arm away from her nose, probably trying to keep her from ruining the garment.

"What in the world? Primrose! Compose yourself this instant!" Katniss demanded, her eyes narrowed to slits. Her sister had a lot of trouble trying to stifle her whimpers, there was nothing she could do about the raging river of tears trailing down her cheeks, or the gross substance leaking out of her nose. The display was sad and pitiful, but Katniss would not coddle her sister now, a kid just lost his only source of sustenance because of her petty actions, and she was having a hard time trying to keep her anger at bay.

"Primrose, I have talked to His Grace, he is indeed unhappy; He informed me, that you personally, will not feel any repercussions for your actions, but let me be very clear, there have been consequences for that poor lad Gabriel! I am so incredibly disappointed in you right now Prim, I have half a mind to end your allotted time early and send you to bed right away, but you need to make amends!" Katniss said firmly.

Johanna, put a soft hand over her friend's arm, and gave her a squeeze, signaling her to not be harsh, she had so seldomly needed to be harsh to her sister, she was not going to hold back this time, especially because, she had caused harm to other people by acting like a brat. She gave her friends a look that conveyed exactly that, before Johanna took her hand off, and stepped aside.

Prim had calmed down some, and Rue had run off and back, to fetch a handkerchief for Prim.

"Now, try and explain to me, what possessed you to do something as foolish as that? I am having an extremely difficult time reconciling my sweet little sister, who would never even step on an ant, and the girl in front of me, who uses coarse language and cares nothing for other people's feelings... I hope I did not do such a poor job trying to educate you Prim, as to see this is my legacy of you" She said, disappointment dripping bitterly from every word.

"I-I-I... I am so sorry, Katniss... You have to believe me, I have no idea what came over me..." She stuttered pitifully; Rue cleared her throat, and asked shyly,

"My Lady, if I may give you an answer, on behalf of Miss Everdeen... She has already shared it with Madams Mason and Odair, as well as myself, and she is clearly distraught... Please?" She shot a quick look at the mess of suppressed sobs that was Prim, and then back at her Mistress. Katniss studied both maids for a minute, before acquiescing.

"You may answer!"

"Thank you, my Lady!" The girl said, she quickly averted her eyes to seek her friend's, along with confirmation that it was alright to proceed, the crying girl, clasped one hand into both of hers, but said softly,

"Thank you Rue," she told her friend looking her in the eye, "but... I think, I should be the one to tell this story." Rue's lips twitched at the corner, but she nodded, and kept the hold on the other girl's hand in support.

Katniss noticed, that Rue was wearing one of Prim's old Sunday dresses, one of her best ones too. The soft amber hues of the flowery dress made the girls soft, cinnamon skin shine prettily. Her brown eyes looked sweeter, rounder, softer. Katniss was glad, Prim had found a friend in this hard working girl. She could see how they care for each other, a surged of tenderness towards the house maid spilled inside of her.

Prim was facing her sister, her voice finally adopting a more stable tone. "I need to take responsibility for my actions, but... I rather tell His Grace first, if what Dame Mason said is true, and what I did, is costing Gabriel his position here, I need to go beg for his job back... He did not do anything wrong, it was all me! I took advantage of the crush he has on me, without even caring for his own feelings or for the repercussions my actions would take... Please Katniss, can we go talk to The Duke?" She implored her big sister, and Katniss felt shame, here was her little sister, knowing that Peeta was very angry with her, knowing that she would most likely get reprimanded harshly by him, but still, she 'begged', to be taken to him, and confessed and be responsible for her actions, something Katniss herself, had been pushing back and ignoring as much as she could, because she was afraid of his reaction. It was high time, she learned something from her Little Duck's example.

"I think you are absolutely right, Primrose. It is the responsible thing to do. We will go see the Duke, and I will be there, to support you." The blond girl, sniffled once, and gave a very choked "thank you" to her big sister.

In no time at all, they were in front of the Duke, Prim standing tall, and her story spilling from her lips;

 

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Earlier in the evening

_Prim had just witnessed her sister turn into a feral wild cat. She has no idea what did the blond curvaceous woman had said to earn Katniss' reaction, the way she pounced on the woman, she half expected to see her nails expand, like the retractable claws of a feline in mid attack. It was reminiscent of the time Katniss had stuck an arrow into a man's hand, when he tried to pat her buttock; the arrow had pierced the man through, and the wails of pain that escaped his mouth were haunting... No man, ever tried to get smart with any of the Everdeen women after that._

_Prim had been mesmerized, to see her menacingly advancing on the woman, then towering over her, and dangerously whispering whatever words she was saying... She almost missed it too; she had to go get Peeta, so he could put a stop to whatever Karniss was doing, they got there just in time to see her face shoved into the other woman's, she could faintly make out the words that were leaving her lips... something about her little finger... She saw Peeta clench his jaw and rush to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her up with ease, she then was able to look at the blond woman with the curly hair that she now recognized as the cobbler... Miss Cartwright_

_Miss Cartwright's face was drained of color, her blue eyes were popping out of her skull, and mouth was hanging open comically, then she gasped, setting her jaw and her stunned eyes filled with anger, she balled up her fists and stomped away like a petulant child, huffing and puffing. Prim turned around bewildered to a sight that shocked her more than she anticipated it would; her sister was kissing... No... Attacking Peeta's mouth with hers. Looking at them and their body language, it was easy to determine who was controlling the kiss; he slightly leaning backwards resting his hands on her ribcage, while she was completely flush against him, leaning on her toes to better reach him, her arms tightly coiled around his neck, while aggressively moving her lips on his. It was not very long, until he carefully pulled away from the kiss, making sure to keep his hold on her ribcage as he went._

_A switch was snapped on in Prim's brain; suddenly, she both envied and resented the action. She wished she was in a situation in which she had claim over another's lips, to mark someone as hers. She realized she had been staring longingly at the couple, who were now arguing heatedly. She wanted that! She wanted a man to embrace, kiss and argue with, to have a man look at her the way Peeta looked at Katniss, and like Katniss looked back at Peeta, like the world began and ended with the other... Her musings were interrupted, by Gale Hawthorne's appearance, and subsequent disappearance._

_With Gale's exit, came Mr. Thom's entrance. As soon as she saw his handsome face and the easy, sweet smile return to his previously stern face, she had a mirroring one, just for him. He approached her slowly, cautiously._

_"Miss Everdeen... You must be the prettiest maid in the whole Festival!" He said breathily, she blushed prettily and grinned a 'Thank you' while giving him a small curtsy._

_"You... Are rather dapper as well Mr. Thom!" She said, biting the corner of her lower lip, ever so slightly, as she took in the gentleman garb he was wearing._

_Thom released a breath he was not aware he had been holding until then, and shakily said,_

_"Ma'am, I..." He sucked in air greedily, she was not sure why he had gotten so flustered all of a sudden, but she just ignored that and looked into his face with honest interest. He finally gathered himself, and finished his sentence, "I-I was hoping, you would be so kind and, umm... Would you..." '_ How is it that chickens knew how to breathe, but he, who had a much smarter brain than a chicken, could not remember how it was done?'

_Guessing his dilemma, she boldly exclaimed, "I would gladly dance with you, Mr Thom! I have to admit, a few boys had asked me to dance with them, but dancing with strangers, I realized is not very fun. I am sure partnering with you, would be fantastic!" She said with a shy smile, and a blush. His fingers started to twitch nervously, but he smiled at her gratefully._

_She was the one to extend her hand, and pull him to the dance floor. The musicians were playing a nice waltz, and to her surprise, Thom, was an excellent waltzer!_

_They twirled and turned around for the length of two full songs, before Thom, said close to her ear, "I have a surprise for you, Miss Everdeen... Would you please, do me the great honor of following me out of this hall?" His eyes were hopeful. She nodded her assent, and they left the noisy room together._

_He held her hand as he guided her down a flight of stairs, to the lower floor, where the maids quarters were, they turned left, instead of right. Prim had visited Rue's little chamber down there, she knew the maids' chambers were to the right, and Thresh was the only male living in the main house, so she figured they were going to his quarters. But they just went into a chamber that was virtually empty, only a cot and desk stood there._

_On top of the desk though, was a wicker basket; a big red bow, tied to the top of the handle. Thom smiled at her nervously, and indicated for her to step closer to the desk, she complied curiously, and then he started to explain._

_"Well, umm, I hope, you do not think me too forward, but, I... Um... I thought that a Yuletide gift for you, was..." He stopped, he seem to falter. "I apologize, Miss Everdeen... This is highly inappropriate... I should not have brought you here, to the men's dormitories, and a gift is completely out of order... I... I am so very sorry, ma'am, I will take you back to your rightful place in the ball room." He said contritely, a strange look on his features, which she realized was a furrow brow and a scowl, she had never seen either on his face, so they looked completely out of place and foreign. She rushed to answer._

_"No! Not at all, Mr Thom! No one has ever given me a gift for Yule, outside of my sister and my father before her... sadly, I, do not remember what that was like. You have done nothing wrong!" She touched the back of his hands with the tips of her fingers, it was supposed to be encouraging, and maybe it was, for, he looked down at where their hands were briefly connected, and nodded after taking a deep breath._

_"Very well then, ma'am..." He motioned towards the basket, and she approached it, she did not know how excited she was, until she heard the beat of her own heart ringing in her ears._

_The basket was completely full of scraggily looking primroses, just that was a huge gesture in her book, but then he pulled a big box from under the desk, the box was lined with blankets, and in one corner, curled up in a ball, was Buttercup. Thom produced a yellow ribbon from one of his pockets, and picked up the cat, who hissed in protest, he quickly tied the ribbon around his neck, like Katniss had done earlier with Fortuna and Diana, and placed the disgruntled kitten on top of the bed of blossoms. Finally, Thom picked up the basket, and with a low bow, he presented it to Prim, who took it eagerly._

_"Awww! You are giving me Buttercup?" She scratched the unhappy kitten on the head, eliciting a satisfied purr out of him. She then picked up one of the primrose flowers, and inserted the stem through the loop of his ribbon. She smiled at Thom radiantly and he felt his breath hitch._

_"Thank you, Mr Thom! I love it! Especially the flowers, they are lovely!" She said while tickling her own nose with another of the blossoms._

_"Yes... Well... I-I found a copse of primroses out in the forest, I have been collecting some of the flowers very early in the morning, for the last 3 days... That is why they look so sad and shriveled... And-and, I know, a cat is not a pure breed hound or an adorable pony, but... You, saved his leg! You mended Buttercup like a proper Doctor, and I think you deserve to have him..." He felt his explanation was dull and his eyes were downcast, so he did not see her move, until her very ample skirts were in his direct line of vision._

_She had put the basket back on the desk, and was now reaching shaking hands up toward his face, he looked up right as her fingers brushed his cheeks, he was startled by it._

_Her hand cupped his face, and he could not move, he did not want to move. That scared him to no end, he needed to stop whatever this was. He had never realized how fast his heart beat when she was close, he had never noticed how it was 10 times easier to smile, when his eyes rested on hers, he was not aware, that he had develop feelings for her, and he felt stupid for it, he should have known, he should have recognized the signs, but now, she was dangerously close to him, her hands had slipped around his neck, and her face was merely an inch from his. How did she close the gap in what seemed like slow motion, but so fast at the same time, he did not know. She spoke softly._

_"It is the most perfect gift, anyone has ever given me. The blossoms are beautiful. I adore Buttercup! And now is my turn to give you my gift... I hope it is acceptable..." Her eyes kept darting between his lips and his grey round eyes. She smelled like wild flowers and berries, her blue eyes were like a clean summer sky, and her lips were soft against his._

_His arms went around her waist, and kissed her with abandon. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, and she gasped. This made him halt and pull away from the kiss; he saw how one of his hands was placed on the hollow of her neck, his thumb caressing her soft creamy skin there. He looked into her eyes, they were shinning and happy, her lips puffy and pink were starting to lift at the corners into a coy smile... He had to get away from there, he could not let this happen, it was inappropriate, she was a Lady, and he was a lowly laborer._

_He disentangled from her, and her pretty face fell when he did not return her smile._

_"Is there something the matter?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows._

_"I... I should not have let that happened, Miss Everdeen. It was inappropriate; I swear to you, it will not happen again." He said with unsteady voice. Her lips formed a deep scowl._

_"Why? Why is it inappropriate? What if I want it to happen again? What if I want it to happen over and over? What if I want us to have, whatever it is my sister and Peeta have?" She asked, eyes round, big, and watering. There was a hint of pleading in her voice._

_"My Lady... You are destined to be great! To be a Healer, a Doctor even! You are His Grace's ward; it will not be long before he names you one of his beneficiaries in his Will and Testament. You are a Lady in the making, and... I am a nobody. A farm hand. I am not good for you, Miss Prim, you deserve a wealthy, proper man, that can provide a good life free of needs... Then you will truly have what My Lady Katniss has with the Duke." His resolve was evident, but that did not hide the pained undertones of his speech._

_Never before had Thom felt like he was worthless; he now realized he was never going to be good enough for his Porcelain Princess, and his heart shattered in a thousand pieces. How bitter, he was made aware of his feelings toward the maid in front of him, the same moment he realized he would never condemn her to be a farm hand's wife, not after the hard life she had been forced to live in the last few years._

_"If you really believe that, then you are a fool! You are a fool and I want nothing to do with you... I- I cannot accept Buttercup, as much as I truly love him. You were right Mr. Thom, giving me this gift was forward!" She said while wiping away the few tears that had left her eyes. Quickly she adopted her 'Proper Lady' posture. "I am going to return to the celebrations upstairs. Thank you for the sweet gesture, I am terribly sorry I cannot accept it." Her face was blotchy and pinched, her eyes and lips were a little swollen, the first for crying, the latter for the most breathtaking kiss he had ever had. She was out of the door a second later, to rejoin the party upstairs, while he stood there, in the middle of a servant's chamber below the main floors of the house, exactly where he belonged_.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Peeta's jaw was clenched, painfully tight. He felt as if Thom had lied to him, by omitting this kiss story, and he was incredibly frustrated with Prim, because now, if he wanted to be fair, and he fired that Gabriel boy, he would have to ask his friend, his almost brother, to leave as well.. He felt as if his hand was being forced, and he hated the feeling.

"Peeta, you can drop me as a ward, you can take away any benefits you have given me, I will give back any clothing, or any coin, anything... Just please... Do not take it out on Gabriel, he had no knowledge of what I was going to do, and it is unfair that he has to pay for my mistake!" She begged, his eyes had been burning a hole on the ground, his breathing was deep and measured, but Prim knew him well enough by now, to know when he was forcing himself to stay calm.

"I will have words with Thom first, then I will speak with the boy, and _then_ I will decide what to..." He started, but Thom had stepped in beside them and interrupted his words.

"I take full responsibility of everything that went wrong tonight, my Lord. Neither Miss Everdeen, nor young Gabriel should be punished for a juvenile infatuation and less than advisable actions. I am the adult here, and I understand the severity of the situation, probably better than either adolescent..." His speech was cut short by an angry snort, delivered by Prim.

"Juvenile my ass! I knew goddamned well what I was doing! I wanted to kiss you, and then I wanted to make you feel as awful as I did. And then, I saw that tramp kissing you! I wanted you to be jealous! That is why I kissed Gabriel... So yes! It might have been immature and stupid, but I did it knowing full well what I intended to do!" She seethed haughtily, her hands balled up into fists.

"Miss Everdeen... It is my fault, I should have known better than to allow any of this to happen in the first place. This is my doing, not yours madam. So, I present Your Grace with my resignation. I will be leaving Winter Home tomorrow morning. Just please retain the boy, he should not be dragged into misfortune, for something he did not provoke." He said looking at Peeta.

"Don’t you dare!" Said Prim menacingly, to both men. "Don't you dare take his resignation!" she screeched at Peeta, then swiveling to the other man, "And you... Don’t you dare, leave on my behalf! This is your House as much as Peeta's! Tell him! Tell him, Peeta! Please!" She was crying, desperate. Katniss who had been sitting next to Peeta with her back ramrod straight the whole time, silently observing everyone's reactions, finally intervened.

Standing up slowly, in the middle of the little gathering. "I am terribly sorry, Mr Thom. I do not see, how you propose we accept a resignation like this. You do not quit your family, it is just not possible. Families stick together Mr Thom, and if I understand it correctly, you are my Lord's family, and his is yours; So, I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, in the kitchens. There will be no more talk of abandoning your post, specially for the next few days, I will need you here, there is no feasible way, forms to run this house completely on my own. Now, I am completely sure that my Lord will want to have words with you much later, or even maybe tomorrow. So I suggest you either go enjoy the rest of your Yule Celebration, or you could be dismissed for the night if you so prefer. We need some time to discuss things, with my sister. And since I have had time to study the events of in the past hour, I have decided, no one is to lose employment in this house tonight, so, let the boy know, he needs to head to the barracks soon." Peeta narrowed his eyes into slits.

"Katniss, I have already told you my decision about the Gabriel kid!" He warned angrily.

"Am I still Lady of this Household? I thought I have free reign over my employees!" She countered seriously, then she added knowing full well, she was pushing her boundaries "Since I been observing the rest of the house maids after my sister's misguided actions, I will overlook everyone's stupid deeds for tonight. No one will lose their job, unless every single one of the maids and lads that have partaken in the mistletoe tradition, is let go, and seeing as that is the big majority of our employees, we will not be doing such a thing, thus making the point moot in the case of Mr. Gabriel. Don't you agree, my Lord? The way I see it... It would be only fair to let every one of them go, if Gabriel has to go" She gave Peeta a pleading look, although she had spoken as if she had all the certainty in the world. He realized, she really had no power over this decision, only the one he gave to her, he knew she was aware of it, and she was just giving him an excuse to go back on his earlier decision, seeing as it now involved sacking Thom as well.

"Very well, my Lady. I cannot argue with logic. If you say it is best to forgive the lapse in common sense of everyone tonight, then I agree. I would just add the following, those younger than 17, man or maid, are to go back to their quarters by midnight. And I do fancy a word with you in the morning Mr. Thom, so I will be expecting you in my study at 9:30 sharp, right after breakfast has been cleared up, is that understood?" He spoke firmly.

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you. Now I will go relay your orders to the rest of the house, and I will retire for the night, as the Lady has suggested." He said submissively, he would not look anyone in the eye out of shame. He finally bowed, and turned on his heel. Prim followed him with her gaze the whole time, but Peeta pounced as soon as Thom was out of earshot.

"What the hell is wrong with you Prim? You are smarter and more in tune with the world around you than that! I am terribly disappointed on your behavior tonight... Let me correct that... Your behavior, in the last hour and a half! You almost cost a boy his whole means of livelihood! Are you aware of that? that boy is singlehandedly supporting his entire family with his position here? Would you be alright with yourself, if that family starved because of your pettiness?" He waited for her response. She seem at the brink of tears, but held them back like a champion as she shook her head in negative.

"No, Sir. I would have felt very rotten about it. As a healer, I am supposed to help people, not harm them... I am sorry, and I know you have every right to be angry with me" she said contritely, she never took her eyes off of his.

Peeta, breathed a deep mouthful of air, before rubbing his face with both hands. "Alright... I think that I will withhold your allowance for the next two weeks, you will personally offer your apologies to Gabriel, Leevy..." Prim groaned at the maid's name, but Peeta just shot her a look, and she stopped immediately, "Yes! Leevy, that was quite a nasty thing to do, call her names. I know that girls tend to do that sort of thing, but not My Ward! You are expected to act to higher standards. You are not, and I want to stress this: NOT, going to be like any run of the mill, shallow socialite that acts like a spoiled brat, and has no regard for other people's feelings or respect for those they do not particularly like! Is that clear?"

"Crystal!" She retorted, but quickly went back to her contrite semblance.

"Good! I expect you, to tell your Mother about this ordeal, and you will accept whatever punishment she deems deserving, you will do it gladly, and you will apologize to her, for acting badly, when she clearly did not raise you to act that way..." She snorted and rolled her eyes at that, Peeta was losing patience with the teenager's attitude, but he just took another deep breath, and dove in,

"Did I say something you disagree with Primrose?" He asked, trying to maintain a leveled voice, Katniss started to fidget uncomfortably next to him.

"You know already, what it is I disagree with... Katniss was the one that raised me, if anything she should be the one dishing out lectures and disciplinary actions! hell, even you are more of a Father to me than my only surviving parent, and you been in my life for a mere month!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest in true 'rebellious Prim' fashion.

"PRIM!" Katniss yelped. "That is unfair... Also... Language!" She agreed with her sister, but she felt the need to defend her Mother regardless.

"Sorry..." She mumbled sheepishly.

"Well, then I guess you can start your penitence by apologizing to Katniss then. And, since is already way past your Mother's specified bed time, I will allow you to go to Gabriel and apologize to him, then you will go straight to bed!" Peeta said with finality.

"Yes, Sir." She said looking at the ground. Then turned her whole body towards Katniss, "I am so sorry, Katniss, I was childish, and stupid, and petty. I will never do anything alike again, I swear." She said earnestly.

Katniss scowled a little. "I am a little disappointed, but I understand your... Confusion... And your anger..." She looked at Peeta sideways, ' _Oh yes, she knew what it was like to act pettily out of jealousy, has it been two hours since, she all but threatened to shoot an arrow into Delly Cartwright if she ever looked Peeta's way again? And then didn't she command him to make a bonfire with the bed and mattress he had sex in with the woman in question? She knew exactly, how Prim felt'_ , but she was not about to admit that in front of Peeta, she might have this conversation with her sister later on, though. "Prim, His Grace did not mention it, but, I will address the Thom situation... I am going to ask you to abstain from talking to him. At least for a while. He is a very nice person, a man of virtue, but, both you and he need space to figure out your feelings for each other, and he seems to be having an extremely hard time dealing with your infatuation. You will be sixteen in July, I will be willing to hear an arrangement, perhaps even courting... Sixteen is young, but is acceptable." This got Prim's attention, she looked at her big sister with surprise, and then she looked to Peeta, maybe searching for approval. Peeta, just sat there neutral.

"You mean, that if Thom, fancies me, he would be allowed to court me?" She asked almost giddy.

"Thom, or any other suitor... Prim, you might change your mind... You have not known Thom for even a three weeks..."

"You and Peeta have been together for little over 3 months! And you are already talking about marriage! Why can it not be the same for me and him?... If... If he wants that, that is..." She had started with such enthusiasm, but as she ended her thought, she realized, maybe he did not even want her. Her last sentence was spoken in defeat. Peeta finally spoke.

"Prim, what will be, will be. Do not worry about it. Your sister is right. You need time, he needs even more time. If by your sixteenth birthday you are still interested in him, we will revisit it. For now, I agree with Katniss. Stay away from Thom for the remaining of your stay in Winter Home, which by the way will be only 3 more days, as your Mother has decided to return to the Capitol early, to get some things organized for your move into Merch in a month's time." Both girls looked at Peeta in surprise. It was the first they heard about this. Of course, their Mother had just accepted the position that morning, so, there was a lot the girls ignored as of right then.

"3 days? That is so soon!" Katniss protested, "They were supposed to be here for your Birth day celebration!" She whined.

"Yes, well, your Mother thought it prudent, to go back home and get some things in order right away. I am sorry we have not had a chance to sit and discuss all this... We will." He promised. "Very well, then. If this is all for now... I would much rather Primrose, carry on with her apology to Gabriel, and then head to bed. I will go fix us some drinks, my Lady, and I hope you and I can have a word after Prim goes to bed." He did not wait for her answer; he just got up, and walked straight to the beverages table.

Katniss, gave Prim one more look, and sent her on her way. Johanna quickly approached her friend and plopped down next to her, holding a glass of very dark, very frothy ale, she took a hearty swig, and passed it to Katniss, who drank as well.

"How did it go with Blondie and Peet?" She said, watching the blond maid approach a terrified looking Gabriel. Gabriel kept sending nervous glances at Peeta while trying to listen to Prim.

"As expected... A total mess!" She gulped another mouthful of ale, and passed it back to the woman next to her. "How did I miss my sister's first crush? I mean, I know, I am far from being aware of this kinds of things, but, this one... You can see how miserable she made Thom! And she is just so jealous, it is scary!"

Johanna laughed at that. "You Everdeen girls are extremely territorial, I will give you that! I will never, ever, want to be in either Delly’s, or Leevy's shoes... That is just... I would rather watch the show! Preferably while drinking ale as good as this one!" She said taking another pull from her glass, then she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Oi! Old Man! Come over here, and share a drink with us! Bring Mr. Pregnant with you, will ya?" She was gesturing excitedly at Haymitch, who stood by one of the fires in the barn; he had to drag Finnick with him.

The two men sat down, each nursing a cup of mead. The old man, looked at Prim, who was waving 'good night' to the boy, and seemed to be heading to the big gates of the barn, presumably to go to bed.

"Where is Annie?" Asked Katniss absently, also looking at Prim.

"Washroom call..." Finn said rolling his eyes. "She ran to the house, because she could not be bothered to go in the outhouse at the back of the stables." He said taking a sip of his drink. Katniss looked at him, with interest, and the action unnerved the usually debonair man.

"That is great! Can I talk to you privately, my Lord Odair?" She asked with big expectant eyes. Finnick, nodded slowly, he had no idea what Lady Katniss wanted they had never spoken alone before.

"Sure thing, my Lady. Lead the way."

 

==========================

 

Prim had left the barn, she had not brought a coat with her for some stupid reason she could not remember. But now, she regretted not having it. It was bitterly cold out. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, and started walking with purpose. She figured, it would be a 8 minute walk to the kitchen doors, 10 to the main entrance, if she kept a brisk pace. She wished she at least had gloves, her finger tips where starting to hurt, same as her nose and ears. Luckily, the moon was up high illuminating the path... No one else was out... She still did not see or heard him approach her from behind.

She shrieked, as soon as she felt the heavy object land on her shoulders; but immediately, felt cocooned in the warmth of a wool coat, and strong arms, that tightened around her arms and torso. She felt his chest, hit her back, and panicked for a moment, until she recognized the scent: Hay, wood and smoke. She went rigid in his embrace, a wave of anger and betrayal washed over her.

"Let go of me Thom... You made it abundantly clear that any contact between you and I, is inappropriate... Plus I have been ordered to avoid interactions with you for the time being. Let me go!" She tried hard to shove him away from her, but his hold was like that of a boa, the more you fought against it, the more constricting it got. She felt his breath hitch, she could smell the alcohol on his breath, that came out as a dense fog, while he whispered in her ear.

"Please, do not ever make me watch you kiss another man. I do not think I could handle it... It was the worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life."

She breathed out loud, the air released from her mouth blinding her for a moment, until the fog of it dissipated into the open air, "I... I am sorry if I hurt you. You hurt me too, you know. But, I know kissing another boy to make you jealous, is deplorable. I am sorry for that... Now, please, allow me to go, and take your coat, I cannot accept it." She said sadly.

"You are cold... This reminds me of the first time I saw you, a few weeks ago... I thought you were a lost angel; you looked so beautiful, so innocent... And tonight, you look gorgeous... My beautiful Princess. I wish, I was good enough for you, but I'm not, and I have zero chance to better my social and financial position... Then, there's also the age gap that we shouldn't forget!... Seven years, is like... A whole life!" He slurred, she wondered if he had been drunk the whole time the party had been going on in the barn.

"Thom you are drunk, Peeta is going to be furious if he finds out... Not to mention the heap of trouble, we would both be in, if anyone sees us... You have to let go of me!" She said as firmly as she could, in reality, she was shaking all over, and it was not product of the increasing cold wind that blew around them.

"I can't let go... If I could, I would be in my bed right now, thanking my stars I still have a place to call home. But, I needed to make things right with you... Explain myself... I-I am not a good match for you, but I want you to know, that you are the prettiest thing my eyes had ever seen..." He said, smelling her hair, making her shiver all over. "But, I'm also here on behalf of Kitty... Buttercup?" He slurred more pronounced. "He's yours... Please don't reject him 'cause of me... He loveses you!" He said with a lopsided smile that she could not see from where she stood.

"Oh God!... Do all man loose neurons when they get drunk? 'Loveses' you? Seriously Thom? That is not even a word! Now, I demand, you let me go, before I start screaming for help!" She said losing patience.

"I will let you go, when you promise me, you take Kitten back! He's been moping 'round, since you left... he hissed at me... He blameses me for your... a-ban-don-ment... He needes his mommy, and I need to smell your scent one last time, before I release you for good!" He buried his nose in her neck, then on impulse he was kissing behind her ear; she closed her eyes shut, and suppressed a moan, he was going to be her death.

"Thom, Butter... Um... Buttercup. Butter-cup. Is not a child, nor is he my... Ah... Kid..." He was nuzzling the side of her neck, then kissing it sloppily, she was experiencing a plethora of new sensations, and she found it hard to concentrate, but, she needed to, she needed to put distance between them right now... He could watch the cat for her, while she was away, anyway. But the kissing was amazing... ' _She would be sixteen in July, she would be sixteen in July, she would be sixteen in July_...' She repeated it like a mantra, he could court her properly then, if he got out of his 'Lows' and realized what a great match he was.

"Thom... Let me go please" she said as if she was bargaining with a child to swap a piece of candy for a toy. "I will claim ownership of Buttercup, but, you will have to look after him for a while. I am not sure that I could take him home with me to the Capitol, unless Mother says he can come, which I doubt. I will be back in Merch in a month's time. Would you let me go now, please?" She asked calmly.

"I would ask you to marry me if I wasn't as poor as dirt, Prim..." He said out of the blue, taking her aback. "We would wed for your Eighteenth birth day, and I would be the happiest man alive! Our marriage bed, would be the envy of every couple in existence, It would be passionate, but sweet and tender... And since you're a healer, you'd be able to keep from conceiving right away... Unlike Leevy... she has had two scares since she moved here already, and I swear, I pull out before I released my seed... But you are a healer, you would know what to! But, you won't become my wife, because I will not drag you through a life of hardship... not again... Now you are rich... Or as rich as you could be..." Prim's blood was boiling, _'did he just confess he had sex with Leevy? And, repeatedly, to warrant her suspicion of carrying a child twice_?'

"Thom, what the hell! I am completely serious! Let. Me. Go!" She gritted loudly, "I do not want to hear this shit... I-I..." _'I am going to strangle that bitch'_ "I cannot deal with you right now; I need to go inside the house! NOW!" ' _And Peeta expects me to apologize to her? Does he want me to swap stories with her as well, while we braid each other's hairs? When HELL FREEZES OVER!'_ "Thom, I am warning you!" She said dangerously, and something fell into place in his alcohol addled brain, ' _Shit! I did not just said that I had been fucking Leevy to her, did I?'_

He loosened his hold on her, she knew that she could break free if she just raised her arms a little, instead, she turned in his arms until she was facing him; he was spewing incoherent apologies to her, she registered a "I won't touch her with a ten foot pole, ever again", and she would have laughed at the absurd comment if she had not been so busy trying to keep a level head on her shoulders, and not do something stupid on impulse and make it all more confusing... Too late, he had latched to her mouth before she could breathe a word out.

He let go of her, as fast as he had attacked her lips, "Fuck it! I take everything back... I will do whatever needs to be done, to be worthy of you... Marry me! I'll save every piece of coin I get, I will work two more jobs, I will sell everything I own, and then, I will buy you the biggest house you have ever seen! You will run your own healing center there, if you please! I will never again look at another woman! Just... Promise me, you will marry me!" His eyes were frantic and a little hazy, but all that was reflected there was honesty. She felt her anger ebb away, not completely gone, but dialed low. Her eyes softened.

"Katniss said that if by my sixteenth birth day, in July, we still feel attracted to each other, you can officially ask to court me. Peeta agreed... And... I do not need a big house. I am not rich, I just am lucky, to have Peeta now... I guess I owe that bitch Cashmere, a hug, for entrusting us into his care so forcefully." Thom cringed at the Duchess' name; it was still taboo to say it out loud. "Just... Do not fuck Leevy anymore... Or any other woman. I truly feel like I want to rip her head off right now, and Peeta wants me to apologize to her, for calling her names... I swear to God, I will pull off every hair in her head if she provokes me!"

"I-I won't... I will not touch another woman, until you are of legal age!" He promised firmly.

"That will not be for another two and a half years, Thom. Are you willing to wait that long?" She asked giving him a hard stare with a raised eyebrow.

"I will... That should be long enough to save up all my coin, to offer you and your Mother a deserving home." He said, the beginnings of a smile ghosting on the edges of his lips.

"Mother has her own house, paid off by the Duke... By the way, we are to return to it in 3 days, and then we will come to Merch for good, so I guess I am not rightly sure, what Mother is going to do with her house in the Capitol..." She mused, Thom furrowed his brow.

"I thought you were staying for another week." He said in confusion.

"Yes, that was the original plan. But Mother has decided to go home earlier, and take care of some stuff... And of course, I am being dragged home with her." She gave a frustrated shrug. "Now, I am very cold and tired and we are not supposed to talk to each other for the next three days. I have a lot of preparing to do, before I face Mother tomorrow morning, so, I suggest we use the time that will take for us to walk to the main house doors, wisely, this will be your last chance to say anything you need to say, for a while."

"What if I do not want to use my for lips for talking?" He said with a goofy smile.

"Then you are welcome to stay where you are. As it is, I have been in enough trouble because of kissing you once, to last me a full month." She said without wavering, of course she wanted to kiss him again, but, she still wanted to teach him a lesson, after the bitterness he caused her earlier, and partially, because she was still angry at him for sleeping with Leevy. "Are you coming? Otherwise, I will have to return your coat to you, and I would rather be warm." She stepped out of his arms, and started walking in the direction of the house; he shook his head in disbelief for a few moments, then smiled to himself, he was goner, that was for certain; he now knew he had a challenge on his hands, it was time to earn his place in his adoptive brother's house, and leave behind the farm hand mentality.

She was about three yards ahead of him, so he jogged to close the distance, he tentatively took her hand, peering at her nervously; she did not acknowledged the gesture, other than lifting her head higher... But a few minutes later, she laced their fingers together, her face clear of expression, his about to split in two, his easy smile turned into a full blown grin.

"Tell Buttercup... Mommy loves him very much, and she will miss him terribly." Not a muscle in her face twitched.

 

===========================

 

"How can I be of service, my Lady?" Said Baron Odair, his sea green eyes intent on Katniss' grey ones.

"I just need some... Guidance?" She said cautiously. "I guess I want to understand, how does one move on from hurt and sadness; how does one forgive betrayal and start over, how to trust again?" Her features were soft, but showed no doubt in her questions.

"I am afraid, I do not rightly understand, my Lady. Are we talking about your relationship with your family? Or perhaps, his Grace?" He said, a cloud of doubt passed over his sight, she had an inkling, he knew exactly what she was referring to, but was trying his darnedest to stir away from the topic.

"My Lord, a few certain unsavory facts, where revealed to me this evening. Along with a few... Equally unpleasant confrontations... And, from all the things I heard and learned today, there is one that shines through the muck... And it is, that you my Lord, have more virtues than initially meets the eye"

Finnick took a breath, and sat on one bale of hay, motioning for Katniss to do the same, he was still nursing his cup of mead, while she had stolen Johanna's ale. They both drank from their respective refreshments, and then Finnick spoke.

"I heard, that your evening had been, rocky, at best. I am sorry about that, because, I am of the mind that you and your Master have put together a memorable celebration. In regards to what you have learned tonight, I will not be able to share any opinions, unless you specify the topic... Although, I do have a hunch." He said almost tiredly, taking another sip of his drink.

"Your Annie, my Peeta, yourself. You had been friends for so long... Yet, when the trials came, you were the one who prevailed. You forgave their trespasses; you stayed true to your friendship... You must have a great strength of character, which is admirable... Otherwise, how could you bare it?" She said, between awe and honest curiosity.

 ** _Finnick looked at her in disbelief. "I did not, Katniss! Obviously, I did not. I dragged myself out of nightmares each morning and found there was no relief in waking._** " He said with his sight lost in a bygone memory, and then he looked back at her, her furrowed brow, made him add, _" **Better not to give in to**  _old grudges _. **It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart"**_ he says in a sobering voice, "That is how I could forgive, Peeta, how I kept sane in the months in which my relationship with the woman I loved was shattered... For me, it was more important to rescue what little was left of our friendship, than let it die. I fought hard to bring them back into my life, because I loved them both." He was looking at Katniss intently.

She felt compelled to ask, _**"Did you love Annie right away**_ , My Lord?" Her eyes as intense as his.

 _ **"No" a long time passed before he added, "She crept up on me."**_ This did not appear to be sufficient for the maid, so Finnick elaborated. "Lord Cresta, Annie's Father, was the head accountant for the Mellark family. He has since retired, to live in the countryside. But, back then, he would spend a big lot of time, with the late Duke, Ryemond Mellark. Annie was very attached to her daddy, and insisted on accompanying him everywhere. She, and little Peeta became friends when he was about seven years of age, and she was around nine. A few months later, my Father took me and my cousin to the Theater in the Capitol, we were to see the Opera with other aristocrats... I hated those events with burning passion, except for this one. We were sharing a balcony with the Duke and his young son... You would find it strange that a thirteen year old lad would find the company of a seven year old appealing, but, I guess, anything was immensely better than the opera. We became fast friends, he fell asleep on my lap, and I fell asleep holding him... He was the little brother I craved. I did not meet Annie until almost a year later at Peet's eight birth day. Same day we met the Masons. The back then Lady Mason, was only a year or so Peeta's junior, but... She could not speak clearly for the life of her, she could not roll her 'R's very well, it was quite amusing actually; I am sure, dear Johanna will hate this particular story, but, try as she may, she could never say his name right... Peter Mellark turned into 'Peeta' right then and there." He was chuckling happily, wiping off a stray tear, "Now a days, she is loath to call him that, she only does when her guard is down, and tenderness takes over correctness." He sighs, and looks at his friends a few ways away, Peeta has returned with a whole bottle of mead that rests on the hay bale between him and the Earl; they are sharing a laugh; Annie is back from her trip to the john, and is standing in front of the her friends, rubbing her swollen belly lovingly, Johanna has a glass of... Water?... In her hand, her legs are twisted over each other, and extended out in front of her, her shinny eyes are bouncing everywhere surveying the party. Finnick smiles fondly.

"Life is about happy moments here and there. But you cannot have happy moments, if you alienate yourself from everyone. So, when you find people you love, you hold on to them, you fight for them, you are willing to be the one to take the first step towards healing, because it is the right thing to do." He says, eying her, " _Remember, if a time comes when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember,_ that the only thing of real value in life, is the people we share it with, the people we love. The ups and downs are worth it, life is so much better when you let go of the bad and welcome in the good. Remember, love will always win at the end, although, sometimes, we might not like the road to the finish line." In his sea green gaze danced an unspoken question of his own.

"I... I think I understand what you mean. It is not easy for me to express my true feelings, unless they are rage and sadness. I have been doing those so long, they come out naturally. But, the lovey ones, those confuse me and scare me, I feel like if I admit out loud my feelings for anyone, that person is going to be ripped away from me, so I push the feelings deep down. I know I need to forgive my Mother, really forgive her, to begin to have a healthier sentimental and emotional life. I care for Peeta like I have never cared for any person before, and I am seriously considering staying with him for good, and marry him if we get the opportunity. I have never wanted that before, and I am scared to death of having children, and not being able to shelter them and protect them from the kind of hardships I have been through... I know it is silly, if these potential children turn into a reality, they will be Peeta's children, they would never need or want for anything, not love, nor coin; but, my fear is too great to allow the thought to set and take root, I wish I could be different." She sighed now, looking at Peeta with tenderness. "I wish I could love him freely, without reservations the way he deserves. I want to love him with everything I have got, I want to stop worrying and being scared, I want to make him happy... I will try... I will really try." She finished breathing in sharply.

"That is all you can do, Katniss dear, Try your hardest and you will be rewarded. I promise it myself and I never usually lie!" He said with a smile that would put any teenager to shame, he was so beautiful a man, both inside and out.

"Thank you for your words, my Lord, they have helped me a great deal more than I could ever convey!" She said, and he was quick to correct her.

"Finnick, if you please. If you are to marry Peeta, you might as well, lose the stiffness of these stupid titles. Neither of us have ever cared much for them anyway." He dismissed good naturally.

"Peeta cares!" She blurted out, then reeled herself in a notch, "At least, when it comes to the way people address me. He even gets to the point of irritation when people do not refer to me as Lady." She said with eyes downcast.

Finnick smiled benignly. "That, my lady..." He bowed in an exaggerated curtsy that made her snort a choked giggle. "Is because he feels overly protective of you!"

Her eyes flashed with concern. "I- I acted foolishly out of jealousy, I admit my demands to Peeta, were a little irrational. I felt inclinde to inflict physical pain on that Delly Cartwright woman, like I have never wanted to hurt anyone before. Then I realized what a bad example I was giving my sister, as she reacted similarly to me when faced with jealousy and anger." She peered at Finnick, looking for answers to questions she had no idea how to ask. "I want to be worthy of him... I want to be able to see past his shortcomings and mistakes, because God knows I am riddled with them, and Peeta puts up with every single one... Please... Any advice on how to forgive and forget would be highly appreciated" her eyes were open wide and earnest.

He smiled at her. "Katniss, you are halfway there! As long as you can recognize you are not perfect, and be alright with it, you would be able to fill the other person's shoes, and then you will realize how easy it can be to forget and keep moving forward." He's voice was soft, like a loving father imparting wisdom on his children. Katniss smiled back at him.

"Thank you Finnick, you have been a great help. I am happy, you decided to stay Peeta's friend. I am happy you have the love of Annie as well."

"I am too!" He said with a bright smile. "Now, what do you say we join our friends again?"

"Absolutely!"

They approached the rest of their friends. Katniss sat next to Peeta, and reached to hold his hand, he smiled at her contentedly and gave her a glass of mead, by now she had consumed more alcohol than she has ever had in her life, and was starting feel giggly. In reality, Annie was the only one in the group that was sober.

"Sweetie, how nice of you and Lady Katniss to rejoin us!" She said with a wide smile, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck. He leaned into her and kissed her soundly.

Suddenly the folky sounds of a trilling fiddle rang through the air of the already noisy barn, calling everyone to attention. Soon the rest of the impromptu band was playing a lively song, in less than a minute the dance floor was filled to the brim with dancers; Mostly the teens, seventeen and younger employed by the Duke filled the place, not wanting to waste a second of the festivities, before their newly imposed curfew. Others just wanted to go to bed early, as they were on holiday for the next two days, and wanted to start their day early for their trips back to their respective families and homes.

Dalton, one of the older men that tended the cattle, approached the Duke and his friends, with a bow, he thanked them for an enjoyable evening, and presented them with handmade knitted, scarf for Katniss and gloves for Peeta, he said his wife and daughters (who he then introduced to the Masters) had knitted them especially for this occasion. Katniss was so touched by the gesture she quickly hugged the woman and three girls ranging from ages sixteen to nine. Old Sae also came to say hello, she brought them hot cider and shortbread cookies. Then one of the launderers came also bearing handmade gifts, followed by the family of a newly hired farm hand, then another, and another, and so forth and so on. Both Peeta and Katniss felt overwhelmed with their employees' response to the celebration. Their gifts of gratitude were even more meaningful than anything money could buy.

This made Katniss think, she hoped the Duchess would appreciate presents she sent her: the red leather gloves and fur hat, that Cinna designed and made with raw materials harvested at the farm, or the small packets of mint and lemon zest tea, blended by Sae from the house gardens. They were small tokens, product of Winter Home, and Katniss was rightly proud of them. She was brought back to the present, when Peeta tried to coax Thresh's little niece, to come from behind her uncles legs, so he could look at her properly; the adorable little girl was about six years old, with curly black hair, big bright brown eyes, skin the soft color of tea and cream, and very round squeezable cheeks.

Peeta asked her if she would honor him with a dance, she shyly shook her head no, and buried her bouncy curls behind Thresh's knees. Katniss could see how Thresh's sister and grandmother, were a little embarrassed by the little girl's refusal, so she kneeled right next to her.

"Hi there sweetie, I am Katniss, I like your hair ribbons!" The girl stared at her for a minute, then smiled prettily and said,

"I like your flowers in your hair, they are like a crown... Are you a queen?" She asked in the most adorable tiny voice.

Katniss laughed a little, "Oh no, I am just the Lady that your dear uncle Thresh helps every day!"

"Oh... Are you the duck-chess?" She asked nervously, and all the adults tensed, except for Katniss, who graciously smiled and explained who she was,

"No, I am not the Duchess. I am the Lady in charge of keeping everything in order and neat. I also made sure that tonight we had toys and dollies for cute little children like yourself."

"Oh... Good! My mommy says that the duck-chess is mean and ugly, and I knew you could not be her, you are pretty and nice!" She impulsively gave Katniss a choking hug, while Thresh's family looked like they were about to faint from embarrassment. Peeta laughed heartily, Johanna sputtered her drink with a laughing snort, Annie cooed and awwwed, muttering something like 'Little children say the darnedest, truest things!' Finnick just smiled shaking his head, and Haymitch, as usual, guffawed saying "I love this kid! She should get two dolls and a stuffed teddy bear! Make it happen Sweetheart!" He patted Katniss' back with way more force than necessary.

"Yes, well..." She said sending Haymitch a death glare, "We will get to the dolls in a minute!" The little girl's eyes popped bigger in anticipation. "You have not told me your name, I bet is pretty!" She said softer.

"I'm Anneka!" She said proudly.

"Well Anneka, you see that man over there? That is the Duke... His name is Peter, and he has a terrible problem!" She said with a faux pout.

"What is wrong with him?" She asked seriously, eyeing Peeta with curiosity.

"It is a secret! Can I share it with you?" Katniss said conspiratorially; Anneka nodded eagerly, so reaching her hand to cup the little girl's ear, Katniss whispered loud enough that everyone could hear the 'secret',

"He is a terrible dancer!" All the listening adults tried to stifled their laughter behind backs of hands and such; Katniss ignored them and continued "I want him to take me out dancing, but, you see? He is shy, because he cannot dance properly... He needs help! Would please give him a dancing lesson? He will reward you with..." She then glared at Haymitch, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face "A doll and a teddy bear, and I will give you your designated doll right after! What do you say?"

Little Anneka's eyes studied Peeta for a moment; he tried to stay as calm and quiet as possible while the child appraised him. She finally turned to Katniss, who was now seated at her side, on the dirty ground, if Effie could see her, she would have an aneurism.

"Alright! I will do it! I will teach the blond man to dance, so he can dance with you later!" She said with resolve, and then added, looking at her mother, "But I do not need that many toys, can mommy have one, and Grandmother have another?" She asked eyes as big as ever.

"Oh no darling, you should not ask for things for us..." The mother started, but Peeta cut her off.

"Nonsense! My dance instructor can set the price for the lesson, and I will gladly pay in full for it!" He said grinning down at the girl, she did not understand much, but she knew it was a good thing, since her mother was smiling and crying at the same time.

Peeta and Anneka, entered the dance floor hand in hand, they twirled, and hopped, and bounced in place, and went 'round and round, holding hands; more often than not, Peeta would place her feet on top of his. All in all, the dancers had a lot of fun together, she actually pulled on his arm, to lower him to her height, where just like Katniss, she gave him a neck breaking hug. She leaned into Peeta's ear and whispered,

"The pretty Lady wants to dance with you... I think she likes you! You should dance with her... I think she is the queen of Yule, her name is Kannissss!" Peeta smiled at her, and handed her the doll she was promised, then told her,

"I believe you are right! She does look like a queen! She is the prettiest! And now thanks to you I will be able to dance with her as well! Thank you Anneka!" He beamed at her, and she grinned back at him showing dimples in round little cheeks.

Thresh's family said their goodbyes, and left for home.

Peeta's eyes were smiling. "So... Your Royal highness Queen Katniss of Yuletide!" He bowed, "Will you allow me this dance so I can show off my new moves?" Katniss giggled, and offered him her hand as answer. He did not miss a beat.

"Thank you for helping me get little Anneka to dance with me. You were great with her, as with all the children that approached you today." He said with pride in his voice, one hand on her waist, the other one intertwined with hers, her free hand resting on his shoulder as they danced to the fast music.

"It was nothing! I had a lot of practice coaxing little children into doing what needs to be done, from growing up with Prim... When she was real little, I used to be the only one who could get her to eat her pea soup!" She said with a sweet smile.

"Well, I think you were great tonight..." He nervously tilted his head to one side, then the other.

"What?" She asked suspiciously

"N-nothing... You look beautiful tonight and I had a lot to drink, so I will not be making much sense soon!" He said with a sheepish half smile.

"No... That is not it..." She said slowly narrowing her eyes. "Tell me Peeta, we are not supposed to lie to each other." She said tersely.

He groaned. "You are going to make me say it, are you not?" He looked frustrated.

"Yes! Now, speak!"

"Fine!... I was being an idiot, as usual, I was about to say that ' _ **you would make a great mother, you know'**_ " he peered at her nervously, and then muttered "Sorry... I-I was not thinking."

Strangely, he saw her blush... Not flaming angry eyes, but a dark pink blush that covered her whole face and neck. She lowered her sight to their feet, and surprised him even more, by leaning the side of her face onto his shoulder, tightening her arm around his neck. He was thoroughly confused by her actions, he had expected her to rage at him, and even stormed out of the party, instead, she demurely sought the comfort of his embrace; but he was floored by her next words, so much so he had to step back from her to really search her eyes, he had to make sure he heard her right.

"I would try my hardest to be the best mother to our children, if it ever happens." His mouth was hanging open, his eyes wide in astonishment, so she rushed to add, "I am not acquiescing to having children... All I am trying to express is that, if in five, ten, fifteen years from now, we decided we really wanted them... Well, I would try my hardest to be the best for them." She said not meeting his eyes; she felt a wave of shyness wash over her.

He was struck mute, his brain was working hard to process her words, and a world of new dreams and longing exploded in his mind, hitting his chest and taking root in the middle of his heart. All he heard was her giving him hope for a child. He had been resigned that he would never have any, but the logical part of his head, was telling him to be cautious, she was young, she had all the time in the world to decide either way, he just needed to be supportive, he kept telling himself to not let his dreams take flight, it would not do to yearn for something that was just an evanescent notion.

He finally regained his voice, "Sweetheart, if you ever decide you do want to bring children into the world, I would be honored to support you, and I pledge to be the best I could be for them as well" he smiled sweetly at her, but she still would not meet his gaze.

"Peeta, I think I am ready to tell you about my confrontation with Captain Hawthorne." She said softly, looking everywhere except at him. He stilled in the middle of the dance floor, his eyebrows knitted together, noticing how nervous she was acting.

"Alright... Do you want to this here? Or should we retire for the night and have this conversation in our chamber?" He offered, voice and eyes full of concern, he had a hunch this would be a difficult tale to recount.

"Um... I... I guess we could step out of the barn for a few minutes... I am not quite ready to return to the house. Is that acceptable?" She finally looked up at him.

"Of course, anything you want to do is acceptable. Let me grab our coats and, inform Thresh and Lord Abernathy where we are going, and we can do as you please."

"Thank you!" She said gratefully, yet still nervously.

He took her hand, and pulled her out of the dance floor. They told their friends they would be just outside the doors for a few moments, while putting on their winter coats, and two minutes later, Katniss was assaulted by freezing winds lapping at her face. She found a spot that was illuminated enough by the glow that emanated from the ajar barn doors, and stood a few paces away from Peeta. As much as she craved his warmth, she felt like allowing him to embrace her would be close to using him to her advantage, something she considered deplorable, especially now that she was about to confess how another man had savored her lips, albeit without her consent.

She had planned on starting off the conversation with a joke, or to comment on the differences between parties, instead, she blurted out the first thing that was in her mind, clouding any other thought.

"Gale kissed me!" She cringed, and wrapped her arms around her middle tightly; she could not look him in the eye, so she forced the next thing out, before completely breaking apart, "He kissed me, right after he called me a harlot..." Her voice came out shaky, more hurt than she expected it to be, and then the flood gates of her eyes were spilling free.

It had hit Peeta like a sack of bricks to the chest, the confession that she had felt another man's lips on hers, he felt like all the air had been sucked out the world, and his head started spinning out of control, he could feel a bout of jealousy rumbling deep in his loins, but then he heard her next words, and a blinding rage overtook his senses.

"He called you WHAT?" He started pacing angrily, raging as he went, "How dare he come into my house, eat my food, drink my liquor, and then insult my woman! I swear if I had heard this before, I would have... I... I... Would've... Punched him... _**or... or...**_   ** _just give me a minute!_** " He was so worked up he could not even think of painful enough punishment for the man.

"And you!" He wheeled around to face her, wagging a finger angrily in her direction, "Why the hell did you not tell me this right away? This kind of shit you need to tell me about immediately, when I am actually able to do something about it, when I can defend your honor... I would have broken that fucker's face, and then made him apologize to you publicly!" He was screaming and kicking, his hands pulling on his disheveled blond hair, he was going mad with rage.

She just stood there, unmoving, quietly watching his every move with watery eyes; she was very scared of him at the moment for his reaction, so she kept her distance, but she would not budge and run and hide, she still had bruises from his last leash-out to tell her that he could be dangerous in his angry-mutt state, but she wanted to trust him. She was going to give him this chance to prove he could be angry at her without escalating into physical abuse, so she stayed, as rigid as a statue, and allowed him to release all his anger.

"What good am I if I can’t protect you from people when they attack you? You are my responsibility Katniss, even if we are not legally wedded, I consider you my wife, anything that happens to you is my concern. If there is any problem at all I want to know, and I want to help solving it, but I cannot do that, if you do not trust me!" He threw his hands in the air in frustration. "I do not want to impose anything on you, but, I am putting my foot down with this issue, you need to tell me if ANY body harasses you, even if it is Gale 'fucking' Hawthorne... God! I knew I should have refused you to go off on your own to talk to him!" He was outraged that this knight, who was supposed to be honorable and her close friend, could insult her like that.

From the moment he said, he considered her, his wife, her eyes had widened, she was not exactly sure, why that comment surprised her so much. Maybe it was because they had not crossed the sexual bridge properly, she was not sure, but, the statement was now ingrained in her brain and on her soul. She was his wife, not on paper, but sentimentally, emotionally. She understood his ire better, but her mind was sluggish to respond.

"Peeta, I do trust you! I do! I-I-I I have just been terrified of your reaction this whole time when I had to tell you about the blasted kiss!" Her voice came in short spurts of breathy gasps and sobs, as soon as she opened her mouth the tears fell with a vengeance, she needed to drink some water soon, or she would be dehydrated by night's close. "I am terrified right now! I am sorry I disappointed you, I am sorry I did not come to you right away, I should have, but I needed a moment for myself after all the awful stuff he had said about you, and the Duchess, and all the awful accusations he threw at me... He said terrible, terrible things, and I was so angry at him... I still am, so I knew you would be livid, and I was scared you would do something extreme and violent..." She involuntarily crossed her arms across her chest and start rubbing her upper arms where her bruises hid under the sleeves of her gown. He did not miss the gesture and felt his anger peter out, remorse quickly replacing it. She finished with a pitiful whimper, "I had just lost my best friend... I did not wanted to see your eyes as hurt, and angry with betrayal as his were"

"Katniss..." He said dejectedly, all the air escaping his nose and mouth was a thick cloud of fog. "Sweetheart, I understand everything you are saying... I apologize for making you doubtful and afraid... And I really do appreciate you trying to keep the peace, but some things, have to be addressed at the moment, nipped in the bud if you please. You have, to tell me all these things!" He emphasized his last sentence.

"He was angry with me..." She cut in, eyes intent on the frozen gravel under her wedged shoes. "He was angry because I became a Concubine, he was angry because he saw us kissing in public, and he was angry because when he brought up the marriage proposal I told him clearly how I felt..." She hiccupped and slapped her tears away harshly, releasing a bout of steamy air from her mouth and nose, before continuing, "He asked me to marry him again, and I said No, and he was so sad and looked so hurt... But I had to tell him!" She said desperately, grey watery eyes pleading with his searching blue ones. "I had to make him see reason... I love him, but just like a sister would love her older brother, never like a woman loves a man... Never like I do..." She stopped short; she could not force herself to finish the sentence, not even now when she knew it was the truth.

"Like you do Who, Katniss?" Peeta asked softly, much closer to her than they had been since leaving the barn. Soon his hand was closing around one of her exposed wrists pulling her to him. She took a shaky breath.

"You... I would never feel for him what I feel for you... Please believe me! That kiss... That kiss meant nothing to me; it just served to prove that your lips are the only ones I ever want to feel against my own." She sobbed softly between words. "I swear right here and right now, that I am devoted to you, and only you! Please, do not take that kiss as a betrayal... I did not want it, he forced it upon me, and I swear Peeta, I am faithful to you, in body, mind and soul... Like-like a... good... Like a good wife." She sobbed some more, her big, wide, wet grey eyes were fixed on his, but he had not moved an inch, she could not read his expression, and she could feel panic rising in her chest, "Please, say something... Anything... Please say you believe me..."

But, he just forcefully dragged her by the wrist he was still clutching onto tightly back into the noise of the barn. She was confused and scared, and the changed from semidarkness to light blinded her eyes for a moment.

"THRESH! THREEEEESH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, over the hubbub and the music, everyone stopped immediately, and Thresh ran to meet his boss.

"My Lord?" his breath short from running. "Is something wrong?" The man was clearly alarmed.

"Mistletoe... Now!" He commanded, and every hand in the barn scrambled around to collect the plant bunches from every hiding place they could find, Peeta saw, how his friends had approached the mad congregation in the middle of the now silent barn.

Johanna, swept people out of her way with both arms, he knew she was ready to jump him in Katniss' defense if need be. He also noticed how all the faces surrounding them where of grownups, which he figured served him best anyway. Finnick and Annie were huddled together, embracing each other tightly, and Haymitch just had an amuse smirk painted on his face.

Soon, Thresh brought forth branches and bouts of mistletoe, tied together with ribbons and ropes. Peeta gestured to the main beam supporting the roof, and said he wanted all the lot hanging there. In no time at all his men had assembled a team and made quick work of the now "bush" of mistletoe, using an improvised pulley, they heaved it up, and secured it so it would not fall, crashing into the ground.

Once Peeta was satisfied with what he saw. He pulled Katniss under the bush of mistletoe. She had already guessed what this was all about, but it still made the bottom of her belly fluttery and anxious, her heart was beating so hard and fast, she was afraid it would explode soon.

Peeta took both her hands in his, her palms were sweaty and clammy, but if he noticed, he did not mentioned it, all he cared about was to make it plain to her, how much he believed every single word she uttered that night.

"Katniss," He whispered, this was only for her ears. "I do believe your vow of faithfulness, I do believe you did not, and still do not, feel anything romantic for him or any other man. Now, I have to ask... Did you give him an official answer to his marriage proposal?"

"Yes!" She said eagerly, too loud. "I did!... I said: No! I told him I would marry you instead!" She lowered her voice a little, but her answers were breathless and short. "He officially withdrew the proposal to my mother, before leaving... She was not very happy about it, but I do not care!"

"That is good... Great even!" He said smiling, "Well... We will have to do something, about your mother later. But for now, it is the best news I have heard all night!" He then turned to address the people around them.

"My dear fellows! I hope you all have enjoyed your festival! All credit for this marvelous celebration goes to My beautiful Lady Katniss!" Everyone applauded and cheered. "Now, I have seen how most of you have enjoyed the Yule traditions linked to mistletoe, and I figured it was my turn to partake and since there are no other lips I want to share kisses with, but those of my beloved Katniss... Well, here we are!" The crowd erupted in hoots and cheers, and Peeta smiled pleased, while Katniss covered her face in embarrassment behind his shoulder blade.

"Oh God!" She groaned against his coat.

"Let it be known! This woman!" He pulled her from behind him, holding her hand above her head, as if displaying her to the whole world, "Katniss Everdeen, has claimed my heart!" He screamed, she hid her face behind her free hand, but he wheeled her around, and grabbed her by the waist, she found herself yanked flushed against his body, one of his hands cupping her cheek, and then he was kissing her, kissing her thoroughly, so there would be no mistake: she was his, he was hers. No room for anybody else.

It was strange, the deeper the kiss went, the more the noise around them faded. She could only concentrate on the taste of his tongue on hers, the way it moved caressing every inch of her mouth, the soft moans he was ripping from the back of her throat just with the sweep of his tongue over her swollen lower lip, or the way he nipped at her, all the promise behind it... She was surprised to feel the rush of wetness being released into her undergarments, suddenly she did not wanted to be in that barn anymore, she wanted to retreat to her bedchamber, and then she felt him throb against her lower belly, and  she knew, he was thinking the same thing. He broke the kiss, but kept their foreheads pressed together, she surmised he needed a moment to gather himself.

"I... I am suddenly very tired" she said with a roguish smile. "Would you... agree it is time we take our leave?" She asked provocatively.

He grinned brightly at her, "Honey... You have read my mind..." He said sweetly.

He took a step back from her, and turned to see the rest of the people around them, there were giggles and hoots all around. He grinned at them all.

"My friends, this is when I bow, and wish you all goodnight! May your holiday be pleasant! We will hope to see you with renewed energy in a few days’ time! Enjoy the rest of your night! There is still plenty of food and drink! Take some home with you if you cannot eat more!"

People clapped him on the back, shook his hand, hugged them both, smiled, raised glasses at them; everyone felt joyful, and their bellies were full, it had been a good night for everyone. And Peeta was damned proud of what Katniss had done for everyone. He was sure morale would be at its peak come the next working day for all of his household. There was nothing better than to know, your house was being run smoothly.

He came to say goodnight to his friends. Finnick looked about to drop on a hay bale and curl on it to sleep, Annie on the other hand seem to be enjoying the happenings around her, her smile was about to split her face in two, her green eyes shining mischievously.

"Peter dear that was some kiss!" She giggled. "I bet Lady Katniss will be weary of mistletoe for the rest of her life!" She said amusedly.

"That, or keep it hanging from every rafter of the ceiling in that house of yours!" Chimed in Johanna with a cackle "Is that not right Brainless?" She jumped out of her perch on a tall empty barrel of ale, she had her arm wrapped around Katniss' shoulders in the blink of an eye, she leaned into her ear and said something that made the younger maid blush furiously, but her smile dissipated the level of awkwardness of the moment.

"Well boy that was some show you put up tonight! Fireworks and shit! That image is going to be hard as hell to erase from everyone's minds... There are no subtleties when it comes to you and Sweetheart, huh?... Well, go on! Go do whatever it is you do behind closed doors!" The Earl slurred amusedly, he clearly had almost reached his limit, but something told Peeta, he would not be seeing him for breakfast, and if he did, he probably would be in dire need of a hangover aid infusion.

"Yeah! I just wanted to make it abundantly clear who she belonged with, so there! Now, do not drink more, I will not pay extra hands to carry you back to the house or to clean up after you!" He said somewhat playfully, but his stare indicated he would let him sleep off his drunkenness right where he was if he did not heed his words. "Annie, allow Finn to go to sleep! He looks like he is about to pass out!" He said with a pointed look, and the pregnant lady gave her husband a squeezed and a kiss in his forehead.

"I will! Have fun you two! I know Finnick and I will!" She giggled and Finnick perked up a little,

"Is that so, my lady?" He asked seductively, leaning to kiss his wife on the lips.

"Alright! I'm going to bed my Concubine now!" Peeta exclaimed clapping his hands, ignoring Annie and Finnick. "See most of you for breakfast, maybe?"

"Do you mean to say, you will take me to bed?" Katniss asked in a shaky embarrassed voice, her knees quaking.

"Oh you know what he meant, sweetie!" Johanna interjected with a mischievous wink and a suggestive smirk. "No mistaken wording there!"

"I will show you exactly what I mean, once we enter our chambers!" He whispered in her ear, rubbing circles on her back, eliciting a shiver to go down her spine. She smiled, and nodded, less sure of herself than she anticipated, but oh so ready to be alone with him.

He grabbed her hand, and practically ran out the doors and into the frigid night. They did not speak during the time that lapsed while they walked towards the warm house. Once they entered the main foyer, he turned to her, she expected him to kiss her, or something of the sort, instead she yelped when he picked her up by the legs and threw her over his broad shoulders and ran further into the eerily quiet house, reaching the stairs that led to the upper floors, and to their quarters. He took the steps two at a time, and did not put her down, until he was in front of their bed, where he unceremoniously tossed her onto the mattress and crisp fresh bedding. She grunted indignantly.

"So... Another man dared kiss your lips?" He said towering over her, she felt panic rise in her chest once more this night. Her eyes widened in fear, and she tried to sit up to face him in a more dignified position, but he pushed her back with a hand on her shoulder.

"Shhhh... I am going to ingrain into your brain, that your lips belong to me..." He said in a dangerously seductive voice. He then fidgeted with his trouser pockets, until he produced a scraggly twig from its depths. It was a sad looking piece of mistletoe, mostly a twig with three droopy leaves hanging on for dear life, he pulled a red thin ribbon out of her hair 'crown', which reminded him of the little girl, Anneka's statements... She was indeed queen of his heart at least. He started to tie the twig from the beam that connected the posts of their bed. She just stared at him uncomprehendingly, ' _what in the world was he about to do_?’

"You see my dear, I do not take kindly to those who mess with that which belongs to me, your lips at the very top of that list," he said while checking his handy work. "So now, I find myself in the obligation to reclaim what it's mine, mark it, assert my dominance, for I do not play very well with others, I can be a bit possessive, and a lot jealous..." He started to remove his winter coat, and party garments, she just watched him with rapt attention, breathing heavily.

"By the end of tonight, your lips would be thoroughly kissed... Both sets of them..." He said with a velvety voice, that made her squeeze her legs together and rubbed for an insufficient friction.

"What do you mean? I only possess one set of lips" she whispered confused and meekly, leaning up onto her elbows.

He had stripped down to his undergarments, it was the first time ever she saw him (or any man for that matter) wearing so little clothes, she blushed furiously, and averted her eyes quickly. She started pawing at her own coat, but taking it off of her while lying in bed, was a more complicated task than she anticipated, she was exhausted, and he pulled her up on her feet, to assist her out of her coat. Once off, he pushed her back onto the bed. She tried to protest, but he was latched to her lips before she could enunciate words.

He kissed her soundly, and then parted from her. He was straddling her thighs. Looking down at her, her raven colored hair spilling under her head, while a few of her flowers where falling lose from their crown, she looked magical, ethereal, like the goddess that she was. He smiled at her,

"I do not blame the man... Actually I understand him. It would be terrible if our roles were reversed, if I was pining for you with a weak claim for marriage, while you all but ignored me, and devoted your time just to him. I would be terribly heartbroken and demoralized. I would do anything to at least keep you in my life as my friend, even though that would mean a life of pain and longing." He caressed her face; she leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

"You will never have to worry about that sort of thing. In this life, I only have eyes for you! **_You don't have much competition anywhere_** " She said with a trembling voice.

"I know, and sometimes, I cannot believe my luck... But right now, I have work to do... Your royal highness... I will worship your lips now, like I know no one has done before me, and no one will do after me." He smiled at her, and the gesture made her aware of what he had been doing, he had been slowly receding back on the mattress and off of her body, she shivered, she felt sticky between the legs, she could actually hear the wetness gather there, and if she could hear it, then he could as well, she was mortified, she then saw him remove his undershirt, reveling his perfectly chiseled chest to her, and she squeaked in surprise and tried to cover her eyes, but he was already holding her wrists away from her face,

"Katniss, look at me, I do not mind if you see me, I actually want you to see me"

"Well... It... It is a little overwhelming for me right now... And I am a little confused... You are all the way down at the edge of the mattress, yet you say you will be kissing and worshipping my lips, but you keep moving farther away... And truth be told, I do not understand why you have to wear so little if we are just going to be kis... AAAGH!" She yelped when he yanked her by the feet, her back made a soft thudding sound when it hit the bedding.

She sighed in relief when he took off one her shoes and threw it over his shoulder into the room. The other shoe followed instantly. He massaged her stocking clad feet for a minute, and then His hands were traveling up her calves, coming to rest on top of her knees. He then slid them around the contours of her perfectly shaped thighs. Until he reached her loose under trousers. He smiled at her mischievously, and her heart stammered.

"P-Peeta? What, um, what do you plan to do?" She was anxious, embarrassed, giddy, apprehensive, expectant, curious... She was not sure what else.

His already broad smile grew even more, if that was possible at all.  
"I told you, Katniss, I am merely kissing your lips." He said softly.

"M-my lips, are here!" She pointed at her face, and he chuckled, she just looked confused.

"I know, but, I already claimed those publicly at the barn. I am going for another pair of lips, a set that are only for my eyes to see!" With that he yanked down her underthings, and she gave a little surprised scream, he had pushed her skirts as high as they could go with all the layers that made it. And realization finally hit her. She scrambled up to her elbows, she could see his expression looking at her special lady part, his eyes were all pupil, no trace of blue iris, and the greed reflected in his gaze made her squirm, she tried to pull her skirts down, but that made him snap his head in her face's direction,

"Don't! I want to see you. But, now that you are positioned like this, I want you to watch me!" Her breath hitched, she did not understand his meaning exactly, but she nodded all the same. He returned his gaze to her center, and licked his smiling lips,

"They removed most of your natural hair down here" he mumbled then he placed both his hands on each hip, and one thumb lightly swiped the expose skin of the top of her center, she gasped loudly. And his smile deepened. He gave one last glance into her terrified, yet expectant grey eyes and dove.

She yelped, and moaned and gasped all at the same time, when felt his light kisses on the skin his thumb had just caressed.

"Peeta!" She said hurriedly, trying to straighten herself up, "Peeta, sweetie, I-I... I do not think this is completely hygienic! There is absolutely no way this is sanitary! You cannot possibly mean to kiss that area down there, the same way you kiss my mouth... I mean... It is, just... Aaaaaah..." He spread open her legs and one of the tips of his fingers grazed her "lips" making her lose all coherent thought... She tried again, once she could breath, he was busy rolling down her stockings along her beautiful legs as he placed kisses on each thigh.

"Peet---Aaah...! Darling, we should, we should reconsider, where you put your... Oh God!" She fell to the mattress and arched her back almost all the way up.

He had finally spread her lips, with the tips of his fingers, and had buried his nose into her heat.

"Your smell is just... Intoxicating... You are so, so, moist..." He said quietly, then he gave his first flit of his tongue, and she screamed his name, toes curling, fingers tightly fisting around sheets and blankets. She forgot the use of words.

He made good on his promise, he kissed her lower lips thoroughly, then used his tongue, making circular motions on her heated bundle of nerves, and she panted and moaned and screamed, she started thrashing in place, he had been resting the bulk of his weight on her thighs, to keep them from shutting closed like they have tried several times already, then he latched his whole mouth on her. She involuntarily started to grind against his mouth, she vaguely wished she could make any sense of her actions, but at the moment all that existed in the world was his mouth on her.

He brought his hands to still her hips, and the noises escaping her, where guttural and inhuman. The sensations where building quicker than those she felt run through her that very morning when he was grinding into her. She realized, she wanted his member where his tongue was, But words eluded her.

"Peeta... Please... You!" It was a plea she could barely muster.

"Mmm..." He answered still latched to her, sucking with all his might. He let go for a moment to tell her, "Not tonight baby, tonight, is only my mouth." He went back to the task at hand, and she whimpered. The coil in her lower belly was about to snap either way, so why distract him?

He stopped sucking on her fleshy button, and plunged his tongue, directly inside her center, and they both moaned in pleasure.

"Sweetheart, I absolutely love your taste! I could eat it all day if you would so allow it." He said against her heat.

She keened, and arched her back. She moaned his name, and warned him,

"Peeta, I am about to explode. Please... Please, Peeta..." She had tears peeking out of the corners of her eyes, then he flicked her clitoris with his tongue and she screamed, convulsing and shaking uncontrollably, she could not breathe, and she desperately, pawed at his head, pulling his hair on every direction. Soon his chin was resting on her lower belly, his body lazily resting between her sprawled legs. She was boneless, and very sleepy.

"Did you like that my queen?" He asked with a soft smile on his face,

"Mmm..." Was all the answer she could give, he chuckled,

"I guess that is a yes!"

"Yeah..." The word turned into a yawn she could not stifle. He laughed out loud,

"Come my sweet, I will get you ready to sleep... I just have to turn you around to get to your buttons, and then we can take this constricting dress off... What do you say?"

But she had already been taken under the spells of Morpheus. He sighed. He did maneuver her out the gown with great effort, leaving on her corset and chemise. He did not put back on her under trousers. He liked seeing her sex. So looking at her just once more, he stalked to the washroom, were he took care of his painful erection, spilling on her under shorts. This was so much better than doing it in his study.

He joined her in bed, and pulled the covers over their bodies, she most have woken briefly, as the cords of her corset where loosened significantly. He pulled her to him, and she, unconscious as she was cuddled up to him.

He whispered into her hair, "I am completely, irrevocably and absolutely in love with you... Thank you for allowing me to pleasure you. I love you!" He kissed her, and she stirred slightly, he froze at her words, he knew for a fact she was asleep as she mumbled...

"...only yours Peeta... I love you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to update, this chapter kept growing and expanding like ivy, I have no idea how many times I had to go back to trim it and rework it. I hope it wasn't too long or boring, I know not much happened to actually advance the plot, and it's mostly Prim centered. But the next one would have a lot of interesting parts! I promise.
> 
> As always, direct quotes from The Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay in bold and italics. Flashback in italic as well. 
> 
> Wink to the amazing JK Rowling as I borrowed and adapted a line from HP and The Goblet of Fire. In Italics.
> 
> Thank you so, so much, for supporting this story! It means the world to me! I love reading/answering your comments and reviews! 
> 
> Happy and blessed New Year 2015!


	15. The Duke's 30th Birth Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't express how overwhelmingly awesome you guys are! As of right now, I have reached 150 kudos, 30 bookmarks and 8360 Hits! I can not believe the amount of support my story has gotten! It's incredible! Thank you sooo much! You guys rule!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters or recognizable places of the Hunger Games.
> 
> Chapter 16 is already being prep by my amazing Beta... It won't take me very long to update the next one, I promise.
> 
> Go forth, and enjoy!!! Have some cake on the Duke!

The clip-clop of her two inch heels resonated throughout the marble floor of the vestibule, as Lady Clove walked through the Duchess' house entrance. She had been summoned there to give her friend a report of her visit to Winter Home over lunch, the day after the Yule Festival. Of course she was exhausted, she had spent the majority of her Yuletide traveling to and from Merch, and had very little rest arriving home to her own family celebrations, but the Duchess would not take a negative answer from her, so she obliged with much ado.

As the maid that answered the door and guided her to the Dining Room, somewhere in the house a clock chimed one o'clock. She smiled to herself; she was entering the room exactly on time, like a proper Lady.

"The Lady Clove, your Grace" wheezed out the plump old maid.

"Oh, splendid! You have arrived my dear friend!" Cashmere turned to face her guest, standing by the door of the room. "Romilda, why have not taken the Lady's coat? I swear, there is not finding good help this days!" She screeched looking at the wet-with-snow trench coat and hat Clove was still clad in. "Tell the cook, that I am ready to be served!"

The maid hurried to relieve the woman from her garment and hat, and left the dining room at once.

Cashmere approached Clove and embraced her quickly, "Welcome, my Lady! Please take a seat! You must be ravenous and chilled to the bone!" She urged.

"Your Grace!" Said the woman with a half curtsy. "It is so good to see you! How were your Festivities?" She asked with partial interest.

"Oh! Very enjoyable! The Capitol's Yule Festival at the Castle grounds was excellent, as always. Although, after midnight they opened the doors to the rabble! It was awful, especially since the most seasoned Knights and Palace Guards were let off on Holiday! This in my opinion is a very stupid idea! Servants and Guards, should not expect to get days off as we do! They have a job to do, which is: to protect us from the rabble!" She spat out with disdain; Clove merely nodded her assent in boredom.

"But, how about you? How was your visit to my dear Husband?" Cashmere asked with a devilish smile in her face that Clove slowly mirrored.

"My Yule time travels, were as pleasant as you can expect, while being enclosed inside an uncomfortably small space with your bore of a brother. I swear he made almost no effort to engage in conversation! I was not expecting him to be a cockatoo or anything similar; but the man barely opened his mouth in the almost 14 hours that it took us to travel back and forth!" She said in one breath. "I wish the King would approve of the expansion of the railroads to that area! It would save so much travel time!" The woman complained, although her smile indicated she was not terribly bothered by any of it.

"The weather there was so much nicer than it is here, I must reluctantly agree. Not a drop of snow or rain!" Clove said while taking a sip from the glass cup of water that had been set in front of her a few second prior.

"Anything else?" Cashmere asked with a forced smile, trying to conceal her annoyance at the woman sipping water; Clove was beating around the bush, and she knew it, and by the way she took her time with the water, she was enjoying keeping her hostess in a state of expectation.

Clove pat the corners of her mouth with a napkin demurely, then as if she did not know her friend was eager to hear about her trip, she stalled.

 

========================

 

Peeta woke up the day after the festival, with somewhat of a head ache.

The first thing he noticed was the lack of warmth next to him; he laid on his back for a while, wondering where his Katniss had gone, and why? He rolled onto his side and brought her pillow to him, he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair on it, before exhaling loudly. 'He missed her, he should get up and go to her and wrap his arms around her'.

He lost track of time, he could had been there an hour or just 5 minutes; he was not sure. But he knew it was around breakfast time by the amount of sunlight leaking through the drawn window curtains. 'Katniss must have been cold, he needed to start being mindful about the damned open windows!'

He stretched like a cat and grunted like a caveman, rubbed his eyes and finally swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, bringing his feet to rest on the cold tile floor. 'He should get rugs'. He dove under the covers again, changing his mind.

He was only wearing his under trousers, no top to cover his upper body. He smiled thinking of the way Katniss blushed and tried to avert her gaze when he first got rid of the soft cotton shirt. He wondered what she would do when faced with his organ. He was getting hard just thinking about it so he slid his hand under his shorts. He was smiling like an idiot, playing with himself, imagining her reaction, her rosy cheeks, her grey eyes nervously darting everywhere but there... He would take her hand in his, and bring it over his throbbing erection and let her feel him. He could see how reluctant she would be, then he would made her lay down for him, he would climb up on top of her, and penetrate her in one fluid move, she would be startled the whole time, but she would allow him to do all this... Her eyes would be as big and round and terrified and eager all at the same time, as they were the night before, he would be looking into her startled eyes the whole time... He was pumping himself with vigor now, her name a whisper he repeated over and over. He closed his eyes to imagined her eyes better, but then her eyes started to morph, from grey to blue, her skin started to pale, her hair got lighter until it was dirty blond, her laughter changed... Wait, she was not laughing before...he noticed how she was not nervous or embarrassed anymore, in fact she was not Katniss anymore... He stopped abruptly.

"Shit!" He grunted.

"It is alright Petey" Came the sad lilting voice of a girl. He screwed his eyes shut, he did not want to see her face, which was stupid as she was not there.

"No... It is not. Is not fair to you or her... It feels like cheating, and I am not a cheater!" He said wounded.

"Awww... I know Petey darling. You were always a perfect gentleman. I understand... I just thought... You would not mind being inside of me one last time..." The girl insisted.

"Argh... I just can't Madge!" He said bringing both his arms to cover his head while his body curled into fetal position. "I cannot think of you... I did love you, I did love making love to you, but that was when I was nineteen! I will be thirty in 4 days’ time now, and I love Katniss! She is the one I want to make love to"

"She is just a copy of me, you know... A replacement... You will always think of me when you are with her... At least that is what dear Cashmere wanted!" She said defiantly.

"No! You are wrong! She is not replacing you. Although there are some physical similarities between the two of you, she is her own person, and I cannot wait to be with her! Since she came to my bed, I seldom think of you; since I started doing things to her, you have never crossed my mind... I just... allowed you to go, it was time I did. Now stop torturing me, please..."

"Are you certain you want me to leave?" She asked sadly, he felt her warm hand rub his shoulder lovingly.

"Yes... It is time you rest in peace. I found somebody to love, and she loves me in return... You can go, I will be fine"

"Alright Petey, if you are sure... Just... Beware of the storm that's coming sweetheart. The chess pieces have been moved, the Queen needs replacing, but the King will try to change the rules."

"What? What kind of cryptic message is that? Madge... Madge, explain..." He said frustrated.

"The Yuletide queen will need protection, Pete. It would be your task to provide it... To her and to the one you despised."

"What?!"

"Peeta... Peeta... Peeta, sweetie, open your eyes... You are dreaming!" Katniss’s voice broke through the fog and pulled him out of his stupor.

"Katniss!" He said looking at her, she was standing next to his side of the bed, fully dressed in a very simple navy blue gown, her face was filled with concern, and her hands were caressing his hair and face... Not caressing his face, but wiping it from tears. His reaction was so fast she yelped in surprised, he grabbed her wrists and darted upwards at the same time, and in one fluid motion his arms wrapped around her upper body, and he pulled her down with him. In a minute, they were both under the covers completely... Except for her feet, they were dangling from the bed, sticking out of the comforter.

He had twisted around, so now she was under him, and he was kissing her desperately, squeezing her breasts, touching her neck, trying to undo her buttons, he realized she had no buttons, her dress was laced up, so he made quick work of pulling the cords.

She finally regained her senses, and tried to talk.

"Peeta... Peeta... PEETA WHAT THE HELL?" She finally got his attention. Her dress was completely rumpled, her once neat braid was a mess, and he had managed to pull one breast out of its confines, by which she was secretly impressed as she was wearing at least 3 tight layers of clothing. She fixed him with an annoyed stare.

"Sorry sweetheart. I was dreaming that I was fu... Umm... Being intimate with you, and then it turned into some awkward nightmare, and then I saw you standing there, I just could not help it... I am sorry" he said sheepishly, his eyes staring dolefully at her collarbone... and her provocative breast. She had made no effort to right herself yet.

She sighed as if in resignation. "It is alright... I had come to wake you for breakfast, which is ready to be served... And you were... You were thrashing and whimpering, calling..." She breathed deeply, and said instead, "I will have to change my wardrobe, and you will have to assist me, as I cannot do it on my own, and I refuse to call on Leevy for this!" She said exhaling dramatically.

"Does that mean I get to help you out of this?" He said pulling on the puff of one of her sleeves with one hand while wearing a crooked smile, while other swiped her exposed nipple.

She gave him a serious stare, "Yes, you will help me get out of it, and then you will help me into a fresh gown right away! We have no time to be fooling around. I am behind schedule as it is, Lady Trinket will not be happy. I have been late for breakfast two days in a row, because of your friskiness and inability to keep your hands to yourself, Mister!" She chided him, as if he was naughty little boy. "Now, wipe that goofy smile off of your face, and let us get out of this bed, so we can go tend to our obligations for the day. It was 7:45 when I came into the chamber, if you want to make it to your study by 9:30 for that talk with Mr. Thom, I suggest you get going as well!" She scolded.

This only served to brighten his smile for a second, before the reason for his chat with Thom came back to him, and his smile faltered, but her scowl was so adorable, he could not help but to smile at her again... He was a goner in the worst possible way.

"So? You did not enjoy my friskiness and wandering hands, then?" He said in that silky voice of his, he started nuzzling her neck, caressing her breast, and pinching her now hardened bud. She groaned, and shoved him aside with an annoyed grunt, then tried to get up, but found she was tangled up in the sheets.

After another indignant grunt she finally gave up. She fell back on her back and puffed out an irritated sigh. "Well... Do not just lay there, smiling like the cat that dragged the mice in... Help me up!" She demanded frustrated.

"If you let me have my way!" He countered deviously, blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"No! Now help me up!"

That finally wiped the smile off his face, leaving a scowl as deep as hers in its place. "You know what?" He said in a somewhat annoyed manner. "You just sucked all the fun out of my morning!" He said resentfully. But he got out of bed on her side of the bed, and came around to his side to help her up.

It was her turn to smirk at him. She pushed up on her tip toes and kissed his lips sweetly. "You can have your way later on. But for the next few days, I will have very early mornings. You can sleep in and enjoy the warmth of the linens... I will have Thresh come stoke the fire in our little hearth." She said softly, reaching a hand to caress his cheek. The gesture was so tender it melted his annoyance away. He leaned in to kiss her softly, but it quickly escalated to a passionate kiss. Once more, his hands went to the cords keeping her dress up, and he pulled until the whole top was undone and barely hanging in place. He started kissing her neck, descending to her chest, where he took her one exposed breast into his watering mouth. She moaned and brought her hands up to bury her fingers in his dishevel hair.

"You do not play fair, Peeta... You have to let me go run the house... We still have guests to tend to, and most of our help has gone on holiday... It is not fai, that one touch of your hand has me quivering helplessly like this, totally derailing my schedule." She was pulling on his hair hard, and then one of her hands slipped down under his chin. She pulled his face up to hers. "We really can't..." She said regretfully.

"But... I can practically smell you" he whined into her ear, grabbing her sides pulling her flush to his body. He finished pulling the gown off her frame, it pooled at her feet leaving her only in her undergarments, he reached down to the edge of her petticoat and lifted it so his hands had access to her undershorts.

"Peeta, not now... Later" she said weakly and without conviction.

"I just need this piece of your clothing..." He said untying the cord that kept the garment on, pulling it down her legs. "You know, Katniss... I play very fair... So fair, I should be awarded a medal!" She stepped out of her under trousers, as if she has done this for him on a regular basis and asked him with a smirk.

"Really? How so? Are you not stealing my underthings as we speak? By the way, what will you do with those?" She was left in her wool stockings and petticoat, her middle moist with her frustration, and very bothered. Still, she found the whole thing a little amusing.

"To answer your many questions: Yes! Really!. I deserve not just a medal, but an atta boy accompanied by a reassuring pat on the back... I must be the only sucker in the universe to share a bed with the girl of his dreams, and never done more than give her a comforting embrace... Until now at least!" He smiled toothily. "Yes... I am taking your underthings from you... They smell of you, they feel as warm as you," as he said that, he brought the piece of clothing to his nose where he inhaled and then crumpled the fabric into his fist. "But unlike you, I will be using this for my own selfish pleasure." He said and then his piercing eyes found her shocked ones.

He found that he really liked this part of her personality, the one where her innocence and purity shined through. He sometimes felt like he was corrupting her, opening her eyes to a life of sexual perversion... After all, he was the one 'educating' her, 'forming' her in this new sphere of her life. But, instead of feeling contrite about it, he felt ravenous; just the thought of stripping her of all her innocence turned him on to no end. He never had this deviousness to him before, he had never felt this sensation of power and dominance over another person before... With her... He felt he wanted to do illicit things, things that were frowned upon... And the thing that was frowned upon the most at the moment was making her late for breakfast. So he shoved her over to the bed, and attacked her neck and chest.

"Peeta! What has gotten into you?" She screeched in surprise, pawing at his chest trying to push him away, but she was laughing, which did not help her case, as her faux outrage was not very convincing.

"I just found myself in need to touch you, and kiss you and feel your soft beautiful skin..."

"I thought... I thought, you where the recipient of a 'Respecting your Significant Other's right to wait' Medal!" She almost screamed. At this he stopped the kisses he was peppering all along her jaw. His hand that was stretching to once more lift up her petticoats came up to brace himself lifting his weight off of her... She took a sobering moment to steady her shaky breathing, and looked up into his eyes. He was serious, his jaw clenched in an almost angry manner. Her eyes filled with flitting fear, and that was when he deflated.

"I'm sorry Katniss..." He said caressing her face. "I-I... I was out of line, you have asked me multiple times to stop this morning, and all I could think of was, that... You are my Concubine, and there is a clause in your contract that states that I have the Right to fuck you any time I want... But, you are right... Your rights are more important, and you are not a slave. I should not be thinking like that... You are my future wife. You deserve better. It does not matter how crazy I get when you are around me, you deserve to be treated with decorum and respect. I apologize for that lapse in my behavior." He said staring straight into her terrified eyes; she had started to quiver like leaf.

He pushed off of the bed, and then offered her his hand to help her up. She grabbed it, and once standing in front of him, took a step back.

"I... I can... Dress myself. I will not need assistance after all, so... Um... I will go into the antechamber and..." She started sobbing and shaking harder.

He rushed to her, "Katniss... Katniss, please do not cry... I am sorry... I am a good for nothing idiot... I did not mean to upset you... Please... Tell me what to do, I will do it, I will make it better!" He begged, while hugging her to his still naked chest.

"I want to be with you, I want to be yours that way... But not if you think of me like your property, like an object you have rights to... Because then everything Gale said would be validated, and he would be right... And I am loathed to allow him be right about this! I am going to give you my body, but on my own terms! When I decide I want it to happen, not when you impulsively decide to satisfy yourself... That's what my underwear is for as you just stated yourself not 5 minutes ago!" She gave him a death glare through her copious tears. He was just shocked into silence by her words... He guessed she did have power over him after all.

After a moment of just the sound of her sobs becoming quieter and quieter, he felt courageous enough to speak again.

"It will be my honor to keep waiting for you, to be ready to take that step. I swear I will restrain myself, and will mind my hands, and I will be patient. I vow to make you proud of our relationship. You will not regret us!" He said solemnly into her hair. "Now... Please; allow me the honor to help you dress?" He said tentatively.

 

========================

 

"The house was every bit the relaxing escape I pictured it would be in my head." Lady Clove said, taking a bite of the slice of cake in front of her. "This is terrific! My compliments to the cook!" She added gleefully in the general direction of the maids serving the lunch. "The people were a little simple for my taste, their fashion was a little lacking for most; nothing like the beautiful avant-garde stuff we see here at home, but I guess that was to be expected... Although, your little employee was exquisitely decked! She was all fire and exotic presence! Even your brother was foaming at the mouth just looking at her..." She said with a smirk, which turned into frown almost immediately. "She looked extremely young if you ask me, not that she looked out of place while standing next to him, he certainly is a very handsome looking man... vigor and masculinity pouring out of him. But you already know that, my Lady..." She said with a perfectly groomed brow raised; Cashmere just ignored the questioning comment. Clove being as sharp as she was, realized her friend was not taking the bait, so she continued. "I must point out, although she does look like a child that should barely be considered an adult, she is truly effective in her duties... And I do not mean just her duties to keep the Duke occupied. She seems to be very accomplished in running the estate. The help call her Mistress, and she had certain authority over the whole household. But as I said, for her main duties, she is effective; I believe she may be a little too effective if you ask me." Lady Clove offered, with an inquisitive look.

The Duchess just peered at her friend, with hard cold eyes. "For all that I am concerned... Peter can keep the little prize if he so wishes. She can keep Peter and Winter Home as well." She said dismissively. "I do not care who he does he share his bed with, as long as he stays out of my path so I can live my life the way I want!" She spat the words with disgust.

"Mmm... My Lady, it is my belief, you do not understand the severity of the situation you find yourself in at the moment!" Lady Clove said with and edge of worry in her voice.

"Pray, tell me, my lady... What is it I do not understand?" Cashmere asked clearly losing her composure.

"Why, just that your husband, a truly handsome, wealthy, well connected and respected man, not to mention second in line to the throne of Panem, is at his winter hideout, cavorting with an eighteen year old beauty queen, who for the looks of it, has him right under her spell! I do not mean to overstep my boundaries, your Grace, but I think you should terminate her contract at once! I have seen danger for your position, in the relationship between the Duke and the Concubine." Clove said with real concern in her voice and eyes.

"Oh... Now I should terminate the contract? Was it not your idea in the first place to give him the girl?" She said angrily.

"Well, yes! But that was before Lady Glimmer entered your world! Now because of her, you are at a terrible, terrible, disadvantage. You could completely loose favor in the eyes of the King, and then, where will you be? The Duke would drop you as fast as lighting as a wife in favor of the little pastry... You could lose everything you have!" She was pleading with her friend now. "You have to return to your husband at once! The sooner the better... Rumor is, that now the Prince is in talks with prospective brides! You will not have Royal protection much longer my friend... Please... Release Lady Glimmer and the Palace, it would be best if you do..."

"Peter stole my first love! I will not leave my next one for him! I will not abandon Glimmer in the hellhole that is the Palace either!" She seethed, "I hate Peter with all my being! I cannot stand being in the same district as him! Why would I go back to him? Are you satisfied now, Clove? Now that you know why I cannot be with him" She was shaking with unconcealed rage. "I have known Peter for as long as I care to remember. There was a time, where he did not exist for me... For us... but then when I was a little over twelve, almost thirteen years of age, he started courting her..." Her whole face was scrunched up in anger and resentment.

"Her? So; your little friend Lady Glimmer... She is not the first woman...?"

"Of course not..." She said standing up abruptly, "I have been attracted to both men and women before Glimmer. At a very early age I realized what distrustful, aberrant nasty pigs men were, so I have been more inclined towards women since my adolescence." She explained as if she had just been talking about the weather outside. "My Father was the worst... A terrible dog, who did not deserve to have a family. Me and my brother had to do just about the most unthinkable things to survive him... But, her... She was the only good thing about my childhood." She started pacing, and Clove straightened in her seat to hear her story.

"She was nice and caring, and we were close, although she was 5 years my senior. The same age as Peter... I would come to stay with her when things got out of hand with my father back home, and she would let me stay in her bed... I felt loved and protected and as I grew older, my feelings started to get confusing. I knew I loved her differently, the first time I spied Peter kissing her... The rage I felt, the pain in my chest from my shattered heart... It was unbearable. But it became worse, when I realized she loved him the way that I loved her." She stood by the great window that looked out into her snow covered side garden, arms wrapped around her middle.

"On the year of their 19th birth day, he proposed to her. ' _Who would say no to the charming, perfect, beloved Peter Mellark? Nobody in their right mind!'_... That was what my nanny said to me that night while drying my tears away. Of course Nanny was aware of my feelings for her; she actually encouraged me to explore them... She went as far as to bring me little _friends_ to play with. Father found out, but was never able to do anything about it, he passed away. Mother was dead as well. It was just me and Gloss... That was the worst year of my life... I tried to convince my fair maiden, that all men were liars, conniving, abusers and cheaters... She would always say: _not Daddy! And certainly not my Petey!_ " She mimicked a higher pitched voice. Then Cashmere was quiet for a long while. "She died a few days before her twentieth birth date... I was devastated... It was his entire fault! He blinded her with his cute words and charms... I have hated his guts the rest of my life!" She started sobbing.

Clove, came to her to embrace and console her friend. "I am so sorry, my dear Cashmere... It is the most heartbreaking story I have ever heard. Please, please, come sit..." Turning away from the window, she guided Cashmere back to her chair at the table, and thed addressed one of the servents, "You there, fetch your mistress a cup of water, do it quickly!" The maid almost tripped in her rush to pass a glass full of water to the extended hand of Lady Clove.

"Drink here, dear... That's it! Now breathe... Deep and easy... Very good!" She stayed on her haunches, patting the duchesses arm. After Cashmere had calmed sufficiently enough, Clove pried, "Why marry a man you despise so much? I do not understand? Especially one who seems to have as much animosity towards you have towards him?... I could not help but notice, how angry it made him to see Sir Gloss and myself standing in his presence. He all but threw us out when Sir Gloss mentioned your name."

"We do hate each other... to the point of no return. We married because the King ordered him to. He needed a pretext to keep me here and Peter as part of the Royal house is required to keep a residence here at the Capitol. It matters not, the amount of time he is physically in the house, as long as he has it. He has to come to the Capitol at least once every quarter of the year. He was here as you remember about three months ago, maybe four. I did not even know he was in town until he was gone." She had no inflection in her voice, it was just a sea of words.

"What will you do, if he divorces you?" Clove asked quietly and slowly, as if trying to soften the blow.

"Hopefully I would be able to retain one of his houses... I will never get Winter Home, or any property in Merch. I will most likely get something in Seam, which I despise as much as Merch... But, I really am not worry about it... I have created a form of insurance for myself!" While relaying this information her whole demeanor perked up, she dried up her eyes, and sat straighter, then she asked her friend to sit next to her. Cashmere asked for a bottle of wine, and then with a great deal of interest inquired, "So, tell me Clove dear, how did the little cupcake like her presents?"

 

==========================

 

Peeta had been truthful to his word, for the next three days, he had only seen as much as her collarbone under her nightshirts. He had gone as far as only chaste kisses before bed and right before departing their chamber for the day. She would tease him by shucking her chemises or under trousers at him she had worn during the day, and then skip into the washroom for a bath while he stayed taking care of business in the chamber. She would smile at him when they pass each other in the antechamber, when it was his turn to bathe, knowing she would find her undergarments sticky with him under the covers on her side of the bed. She seemed to find it amusing, as she never complained.

He on the other hand, was finding it increasingly frustrating to keep this new dynamic. He was almost convinced she was doing it to teach him a lesson. And maybe he was right, for she would completely ignore his covert advances.

Lord Abernathy was the first to depart on the second day after the Festival. He told Peeta that he would be back in 5 days’ time, for his 30th Birth Anniversary. Which Katniss had announced would be held in 6 days. The Baron and Baroness, were the next to return to their own home, the babe was not much longer, only a month or so and the Baron was starting to worry about his lonely Mother (the Baroness, rolled her eyes, and mouthed to Katniss "You are lucky!"... Katniss was not quite sure, what Annie meant by that, but it made Johanna burst out laughing, so she smiled).

On the Third day, Mrs. Everdeen and Prim rose very early, to assist Katniss in the kitchen for breakfast as they had done for the past few days. Katniss was relieved that all her employees were set to be back in Winter Home by supper time... The three Everdeen women set out to prepare their food for the day, but that morning they were surprised to find Peeta joining them in the kitchens. He took over the baking station; Mrs Everdeen tried to discourage him from it, but he brushed her aside.

"My dear lady, the official dwelling of the Dukes of Merch is called Baker's Place for a reason." He explained, while rolling up his sleeves, and began to sprinkle abundant flour on the counte., Old Sae laughed, when she entered the kitchen and saw him there; she went straight to collect the rest of the ingredients he would need, and said,

"Your Grace! It is good to have you back at your station!" She then turned to mind her own station at the other side of the kitchen.

All the Everdeens looked at each other with different degrees of surprise. Prim was the one to speak first.

"So it turns out that you can feed yourself after all, huh?" She said amusedly.

"Primrose... Manners!" Her mother chided.

"How was that rude? I am just pointing out that our illustrious Duke Mellark, can attempt to survive on his own... And I would not be surprised if his bread is half decent, as it seems he can do everything in the world!" She used her most innocent voice that by now, no one in that kitchen bought. Everyone in her life was now aware, or at the very least semi-aware of the real personality of Primrose Everdeen, the spit fire with the face of an angel.

Thom walked into the kitchen with a bundle of wood to burn; and everyone, except Sae, went rigid at his entrance.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_The day after the Festival while Peeta was in his study giving Thom and earful of his thoughts concerning the previous nights events, Prim and Katniss sat in Prim's bed, while their Mother yelled at the younger girl for the same reasons. Katniss held her little sister's hand, while their Mother paced in front of them with one hand locked on her hips, as the other one made all kinds of exaggerated gestures in the air. Neither maid had ever seen their mother this angry before._

_At the end, Peeta told Thom, that if he wanted to better himself, to choose a career, he would pay for studies, tuition, boarding, books, tutors... Anything he needed, he would not allow him to get extra jobs. He threatened him with withdrawing his promise to support his courtship with Prim if he heard about him working as a farm hand elsewhere. Thom was his protégé now, as he should have insisted upon years ago. Thom was told he would have permission to write to Prim beginning with her departure to the Capitol. And that he was expected to have chosen a field of studies by the end of the week._

_But things did not go as smooth with the Everdeens. Up in Prim's chamber, Mrs Everdeen had forbidden Prim to ever speak to Thom or Gabriel ever again... That was the moment in which Katniss intervened, putting her Mother in her place. Katniss explained, that she had already decided that if Prim and Thom wanted to be together, they could write to each other while she was back home, and come her sixteenth birthday, he was allowed to ask 'Katniss' to court Prim... She would direct him to ask her mother as a courtesy, but nothing else. Mrs. Everdeen and Katniss yelled at each other for what seemed to be hours. By the time Peeta made his way to the young mainden’s chambers, Prim was threatening to run away and elope like her mother had done before her.._

_Peeta, had to yell at all the woman to "shut up", it was a mad house and he had a terrible head ache. He told them to compromise... But as soon as he allowed then to talk, they were all screaming at each other again. So he simply said that he would decide, and would give them his final say that night after supper. Of course the whole day was extremely explosive for all three women, and they all decided to stay away from each other. By night time, Peeta called Finnick, Thom and the Everdeens to his study and told them the following:_

_"Currently as the lone male figure in Primrose's life, I have drawn up a document with the help of the Baron as my attorney. I will allow him to read it out loud, and explain what it means, should any if the parties need clarification." He motioned for Finn to continue._

_"Very well..." Finnick said, clearing his throat hethen dove into his reading. "His Grace, Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch and Seam, of the twelfth district of the Kingdom of Panem. Benefactor to the Everdeen household, is hereby recognized as Guardian of the minor Primrose Beatrix Everdeen, who is to be known as the Duke's Ward from now on. As such, according to the law of the land, the Guardian unofficially or otherwise appointed by a court of law, has precedence in all decisions of legal matter concerning the Ward, until the child reaches the age of Eighteen." He looked at all the people in the room, the only one not wearing a face of confusion was Peeta._

_"This document means that, His Grace will manage all the legal affairs of Miss. Everdeen until she turns eighteen. Including that of courting and marriage, as it is custom in our society to agree in such endeavors before the majority of age. Is that kind of voice?_

_"Don't I have to have agree to cede my rights over my own child? Signed some kind of document?" Mrs. Everdeen seethed._

_"Actually you did..." Finnick said matter of factly. "You agreed for your child to be under the protection of the Duke, when you entered into the accord of her tuition and education with the school of medicine and sciences." He stated and folded his arms behind his back. Peeta, was sitting behind his desk uncomfortably, this whole deal felt backhanded. Mrs Everdeen was thinking the same thing as per her facial expression._

_"Now, the next part of the document is the one of real interest, because it will require the signatures of all the parties involved, including Miss Everdeen." He said calmly._

_"What? She is a minor? She cannot consent to anything!" A very shocked, very angry Mrs. Everdeen said with a raised voice._

_"Well, that is the whole purpose of this document ma'am. Now, I will proceed with reading it, if it is alright with you all?" No one opposed, so he went on._

_"With the understanding of the preceding paragraph, I, Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch and Seam, Lord of Baker's Place and Victor's Village, second in the line of succession of the Royal house of Snow..." He cleared his throat again, then said under his breath partly annoyed, partly jesting "What a mouthful" he took a sip of water and continued. "After knowing the character, and code of morals adopted by the Everdeen family, and having met and known the Ward in question, hereby declare, Primrose Beatrix Everdeen, competent to aport her opinions in all legal matters concerning herself. All decisions will be taken in conjunction with all the parties. Ultimately, giving Miss Everdeen the last vote in all matters concerning her well-being. This is to say, in the eventuality that a vote needs to be taken the balance would be the following, two votes plus Miss Everdeen would tip the decision in her favor, three votes against Miss Everdeen, will tip the balance in the opposite way. Split votes, would be call for a compromise, if one cannot be reached it will go stagnant until one person changes their vote. If all parties agree to this deal, they must sign under the line with their own name on it. For witnesses to this signing a Mr. Thomas Holmes and my person would give faith that all the parties were in agreement." After he was done talking a thick silence fell over the room._

_"Wait... You are allowing me to decide what I want to do?" Prim asked stunned._

_"You already do anyway... This is just a legal paper saying you have... The legal right to do it, or whatever." Peeta said a little flustered._

_"You cannot be serious, your Grace!" Mrs. Everdeen gasped, "Prim has demonstrated in the past three weeks how little common sense she has! She can be irate, irrational, vindictive, hurtful and rude... and you still want to award her with this? Where is it going to end? You have emancipated my 15 year old!!!" Mrs. Everdeen was on her feet, stomping in anger._

_"Oh please! Like you are one to talk!" Prim screamed at her Mother._

_"What is that supposed to mean young lady? You still haven't signed any papers and I am still your mother!" She shrieked._

_"For the love of God! Shut. Up!" Peeta was pounding his hand on his desk. "Both of you! Now... Ma'am, I appreciate your concern, but when I hear Primrose threatening to run off and elope with my protégé, I believe her!"_

_"What?" Came the choked gasp of Thom. All Everdeen women gave him a killing glare, so he just lowered his head and quieted down._

_"I take Prim very seriously! By now, we all know that was exactly what you did when you were 17... Your blood runs through her veins, so I do believe she would do it! And I for one, do not, and I repeat I do not, want my ward to be running off and marrying without my consent... Not that I would cut her off or anything, but this is a serious thing... Yes, Primrose is immature at times, and all those other things you accused her of, but she is a smart kid, deep down she is an excellent child... A child that had seen and lived things I would not wish for any child to have experienced. And I understand her way of reacting... And also her dirty sailor’s lexicon..." He said uncomfortably._

_Mrs. Everdeen snorted, "Sailor's lexicon!... My child does not talk like a dirty mouthed sailor!"_

_"Beg to differ" said Thom under his breath, but it was loud enough that the whole room heard. Mrs. Everdeen wheeled around to face him then, and jumped him, like she would have done earlier if she would have seen him earlier._

_"You stay out of this! It is your fault we are in this mess! How dare you seduce a child..."_

_"ENOUGH!" It was Katniss' turn. She had stayed quiet until then, everyone turned to see her basically wrestling a furious Prim, she had her hand covering Prim's mouth preventing her from demonstrating that famous sailor’s vocabulary._

_"Mother, Prim does speak worse than Dame Mason on a bad day... She has for long time now, this is not new. I have heard her talk to Rory's friends back at the Capitol; they all talk like that... I just... Pretended it was not happening. And it is not Thom's fault, it is mine... I brought us all here. Prim does whatever she wants to do because I never set any rules for her... So none of this is anyone's fault but mine." Katniss said annoyed... She did not say what she really was thinking... Prim did what she wanted and Katniss herself did what she wanted because of their mother._

_"I think that with this document everyone can be more on par with everyone else, and if course we would all clear things with you Mother"_

_**"Katniss, no one clears anything with me**! **"** She said angrily. It is true, not even Katniss does, not since her Father died._

_"And whose fault is that I wonder?"_

_"Prim!" Both Katniss and Peeta chided at the same time._

_At the end if the night everyone had agreed that the document and voting system was fair. Prim would have a say in decisions that needed to be taken concerning her, and all the adults in her life would have a counsel of sorts for each and every decision... It was not perfect by any means, or the most convenient thing either as they would have to talk about things together and come to agreements and such. But, it would involve their Mother more than as of the moment, and she finally recognized that Peeta would not be imposing his own opinions, as he thought that only Katniss should be allowed to make decisions on behalf of her sister. It dawned on him how wrong it was, that in a Concubinage Contract her age to agree would have been inconsequential, but for marriage, her mother had to give her legal blessing, if she was to be courted under the age of eighteen._

_He wished he could convince his uncle the King to study and revamp the laws governing Concubinage... He would even go as far as outlaw it in certain cases_.

_Prim and Thom were allowed 5 minutes to talk in private... Or as private as having Annie seated at the other end of the library would allow. So they mostly whispered the whole conversation._

_"What the hell where you thinking, Prim? Running off and eloping? You still need to be eighteen to elope, you know!" Thom said pacing, hands thrown into the air._

_"I was angry! Mother was being irrational, and she had forbidden me to see you ever again! Peeta just happened to come in right when I was telling them what I was going to do, unless they got out of my way... He... He did not like it." She was sitting in one of the fluffy couches, hands resting carefully on her lap. She talked as pleasantly as if she was just telling him about her day._

_"Well, my love, you cannot do that... You cannot threaten your family in that manner if you do not get your way." He said seriously, grey eyes fixed on her blue ones._

_She blushed at the 'my love' term, but addressed the rest of the comment instead. "So, I should just accept my mother's crazy demand? Well, it was not fair, and she was being hypocritical and I was not going to stand for it!" She said with huff. "I will see the man I love and when the time comes, I will marry him! With or without my family's support... Just like my own mother did, before me!" She said haughtily._

_Thom just laughed._

_"What is so funny, Thom?" She said stiffly, clearly not amused._

_"You are all the same woman, you know! All three of you... Rebellious, survivors, stubborn, beautiful and because there has to be a hitch... a hell of a temper!" He said chuckling loudly. "I have to remember that and say it to Peeta... He would appreciate it!" He said after a minute of laughing on his own finally realizing she was scowling at him._

_The rest if their conversation consisted of a series of apologies and shy glances, and promises of writing each other, and threats of 'I will gauge your eyes out if you so much as look at another woman while I'm gone' and 'I will spread poison oak all over her bed covers if she dares touch you' and a lot of intimidated 'Yes dear's... It was amazing how one petit, lithe thing of a girl, could make a grown, broad shouldered man shudder in fear with just one well-placed glare._

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Things were still a little tense between Mrs. Everdeen and the younger people; Peeta was trying extra hard to get into her good graces. He was aware that he had never entirely been in her good graces, and that bothered him greatly. He was never disliked by Madge's family; in fact he was still friendly with Mr Undersee. Thom delt with the stress by just getting worked up into a state, until he could not breathe anymore, causing everyone else to panic as well. Katniss had to finally tell her mother to be civil towards the men, since they would be part of her family whether she liked it or not. So that is how this morning, Mrs Everdeen is the first to greet Thom, as he drops the bunch of firewood next to the hearth.

"Good morning, Mr Thom!" The Everdeen matriarch said, with an acknowledging nod.

"Ah-Um... Yes! Morning ma'am!" He said quickly, feeling sick to his stomach. "My Lady, Miss P... Ev-Everdeen... Sa-Sae..." He was starting to turn purple in the face; apparently he forgot how to breathe again. Peeta, slapped him in the back once just to get him functioning again.

"Thank you, My Lord..." He said quietly. "Umm... Baking? That is something we have not seen in this kitchen in a very long time... Two years I wager?" He said with a nervous smirk.

"I figured it was time to dust off the old skills, make sure I still remember how to do this!" He smiled at his friend warmly, the younger man returned the smile, a little less contrived.

"Well, it is a reassuring sight, Sir. That is for sure!" He then waved to everyone, and stepped out into the back door.

Katniss approached Peeta, putting a hand in the middle of his back as she stood next to him, "So my Lord, you are a sketcher, and now it turns out you are also a baker?" She said with a little bit of amuse and surprise. He smiled at her sheepishly. Then he spoke so low it was clear to her, this was meant only for her ears.

"It never came up... I used to bake all the bread we consumed in the house, it was something my father taught me, and I always thought I would teach my children if I ever had them... Then I married Cashmere, and I knew I would never have children with her, so... I stopped baking...there was no reason to keep with a tradition that would not be handed down to any heirs... Until recently..." He then blushed furiously; she just looked at him with big eyes.

"Oh..." She said softly.

"It... It is alright Katniss... The way I figure it... If WE do not have children, Prim and Thom will, and it will be alright to pass down the tradition to them... They will be family." He said shrugging.

"How about, we... Um... not count out the possibility of teaching your own children, just yet..." She said shyly, looking at his hands covered in flour as they work freshly mixed dough.

He grinned at her. "That would be lovely! Thank you!... Just... Do not take it as me pressuring you... I just... I want you be happy with whatever you decide in the future. That is all." He said cautiously.

She smiled. "I will be happy! I know I will!" She said confidently.

"Very well, my Lady... Then, today will be the first day, you will taste bread made by my hand!" He said happily in a much louder voice, so the rest of the kitchen was now privy to their conversation.

"Peet! I heard you were back to your old stress relieving techniques!" Boomed the voice of Dame Mason from the kitchen doors, she was fully decked in her uniform. She was on vacation until after his birthday party, but had decided to escort the Everdeens back to the Capitol. They were set to leave right after breakfast. "Pray, tell me my Lord, what are your skillful hands preparing for us this fine morning?" She asked gleefully, it seem like she was also aware of Peeta's reasoning for his lack of baking, as she kept sending Katniss happy grins.

"How would you feel about Cheese Buns?"

 

=========================

 

Few hours after breakfast had been cleared, and the kitchen had been cleaned up and readied for the next meal preparations, the Everdeens retired to the guest chambers, to finish packing for their return to the Capitol. Johanna had been ready to go since the day before, so she just spent the rest of her time locked away with Peeta in his study, they talked mostly about Cashmere and other unpleasant topics. She was to keep an eye out for any misdeeds on the Duchess' part that could be used to build his divorce case, something Johanna was giddy to do.

A few minutes before 11 o'clock, all of Mrs. Everdeen and Prim's luggage had been loaded into their coach. Rue and Prim had been huddled together in a corner whispering and giggling together, Katniss felt a pang of jealousy while watching her sister and her new friend, sharing secrets and inside jokes she was not part of. The realization that her little sister now had a life apart from her own saddened her; they were both growing up, and growing apart; ever in tune with her moods, Peeta put a warm hand on the small of her back, she turned to look at him and gave him a sad smile, she knew he would recognized right away.

Peeta had been trying to touch her less, while around Mrs. Everdeen, just so the older woman would feel more comfortable. The way he saw it, he needed the woman to like him, he was planning on being in her life for good, and in his eyes it would not do to have animosity between them. Mrs. Everdeen, had noticed the effort the Duke had been making to accommodate her, and she recognized that she was not as bothered with him about being his daughter's married intended, as much as she was bothered that he had such great influence of the decision making concerning Primrose. There was not much claim she could make over Katniss anymore, she was as good as an adult, as any woman of age, but there was still years to recover with Prim, she resented the fact, that she had to share those with Him. She was aware, she could not blame anyone but herself regarding the poor Mother-Daughter relationship she has with her youngest. Yet it is always easier to place blame in others then it is to recognize ones defects and shortcomings. Nonetheless, as she was boarding the coach, she promised Katniss she would make a real effort to mend her relationship with the Duke, for everyone's sakes.

Next it was Johanna who said her farewells. Katniss noticed that Johanna was her 'Rue' as they were both sharing a moment where Johanna laughed, and she got very embarrassed by her crude comments. Johanna gave Peeta a smirk and a very quick embrace. She was not much for physical displays of affection. She promised she would make sure the Everdeens would arrive to their house safe. Then she was in her carriage seat getting comfortable for the long ride.

Thom had been looking from afar. The longing and sadness reflected in his features, made Katniss feel like a jailer instead of a big sister. She gave Peeta a questioning look, asking his opinion and as soon as he nodded, she motioned for him to approach them. She did not uttered a word, just gestured her head in Prim's direction, his grateful smile was at first hesitant, but after seeking Peeta's reassurance, he walked with propose to where Prim and Rue were embracing and weeping into each other's shoulders.

Once Prim noticed him standing a mere foot away from her, she let go of Rue slowly. She then looked at Katniss, and saw her big sister smile at her... She broke into an enormous grin and flung herself into Thom's waiting arms. They were both laughing merrily, he was crushing her to his chest, and she was trying to store deep inside her being the smell of his scent (hay, wood and smoke) she wanted to memorize the way his easy smile looked and the exact shade of his eyes. They promised to write to each other every day, then he whispered in her ear something, she laughed a belly laugh and then planted a big kiss on his lips. Peeta frowned, and told them to tone it down or that would be it until she returned from the Capitol, so they stopped the kissing, but kept smiling at each other and holding hands. Finally, Peeta cleared his throat, and stood next to Prim, pulling her away from Thom who was still smiling to her sweetly.

"Be good Primy." He said as he hugged her tight. "You are alright wild one!" He kissed the crown of her head and she giggled. She stood on her tippy-toes and kissed him in the cheek.

"I will miss you, although you are a terrible pain in the arse!" She smiled cheekily at him. He chuckled.

She let go of Peeta, and came to see her sister. They just stood looking at each other for a moment... The Katniss started sobbing; not a second later both teens where hugging and crying into each other’s arms.

"I will miss you Little Duck" She said quietly into her sister's hair.

"You will not have to miss me too long! I will be back soon enough and we will have the best time ever! You will see!" She assured with conviction.

"I know! Now... Remember" she said grabbing Prim by the shoulders so she could see into her sister's pretty eyes. "Be nice to Mother. Be obedient, be courteous. It is not her fault she was sick with melancholy and she is here for us now! We can be a family again!" She said with tears trailing down her cheeks.

"I know... Hey... Do not cry... It will only be a month!" She gave her big sister a brave smile, and hugged again.

"I love you little duck!" She whispered.

"I love you too!"

 

=========================

 

The morning of Peeta's birth day, found him with Katniss kissing his jaw and neck, although she did not let it escalate much from there. The whole house was in a state of celebration, there were many pats on the back, curtsies and cakes... Cakes, cakes, and more cakes. Some exquisitely decorated like the one Effie commission from the town bakery, to the very basic ones, like pan-cakes made in the barracks.

The men gave him a collective present, a brand new saddle that they had made right there in the farm. It was tinted very dark leather, and it had little designs all over the skirt and seat jockey, he recognized as katniss flowers. On the right side fender was an almost delicate image of Diana etched in the though leather and on the left side was an image of Fortuna. It was a sturdy and beautifully worked leather saddle.

Katniss gave him a whole artist's set; with pastels, oil paints, watercolors, brushes in all sizes and shapes, rolls of canvas, and easel, and pencils in all the numbers. She knew he used to paint landscapes when he was younger, but had stopped in favor of building and expanding his dream home, Winter Home. She figured that now that he was done with constructionthere, and was not involved in the actual labor of renovating Baker's Place or the construction of the Healing Center, he could spare time to go back to his old hobby. He agreed!

Haymitch and Effie pooled together and bought him a motorized carriage! They hired the instructor who had been the person to deliver the car, to stay for two days, to teach Peeta how to steer the new contraption. And they were sure, he would want a couple if his hands to learn how to drive as well. He immediately chose Thom (no surprise there) and Dalton (because he trusted the older man with very delicate maters... Also, he had been the one to carve to saddle so perfectly for him!)

He received letters and parcels from his friends and some acquaintances, he was glad to read from the Odair's and Dame Mason, and was actually surprised to even find a short note from Mrs. Everdeen, attached to a ten page long 'essay' from Prim. She wrote telling him about everything that had happened to her since the moment the carriage took off, until the moment she sealed the envelope... He laughed out loud, when he spied at the very bottom of the last page, as an afterthought spilling out of the piece of paper and as big as ant foot tracks, _"Happy 30th Birthday! I love you, even though you can be very thick!"_ So far Prim's letter was his favorite.

The day closed, but by the time he made it to his chamber, Katniss had already passed out. He contented himself, with holding her close to him.

And the day came of the party. As per Peeta's request, the only people invited would be the ones already at the house: Haymitch, Effie, Katniss, and the Help.

Katniss and Leevy had left to visit town and run errands right after breakfast. Katniss had been feeling responsible for Leevy's melancholy disposition of late. By now, everyone in the house knew about the Prim and Thom issue, and Katniss felt the change in her maid, so she had tried to keep her busy and with her at all times. Leevy, it turns out, was two years older than Katniss, and if you looked very, very quickly, they could pass for relatives. This was a good thing, as Katniss unknowingly, introduced her to a one dashing Devlin Cartwright, who had never set eyes on the maid before. Devlin was polite, and charming, and smiled a lot, and all around happy personality... Katniss suddenly announced that Leevy's day off was soon approaching and the poor girl had never been to a sweet shop! She kept talking about how much she would appreciate it if a sweet soul would escort her dear friend for a taste of their new taffy or the frozen treats they carry in the store. Of course, it did not take much convincing for Devlin to volunteer.

As soon as they returned to Winter Home Katniss ran to brag to Peeta about her match-making success, except he went completely berserk, at the mentioned of Devlin's name. This was the first spat they had had in days, and of course things blew out of proportion. By the end of a screaming match between them, Peeta ended up sitting on the floor, back against the arm rest of a couch, and Katniss wedged snugly on his lap into the crook of his neck, while his arms formed a protective cocoon around her trembling body. They spent a long while like that interchanging apologies and explanations.

"I did not know anything was amiss with Mr. Cartwright, I swear..." She stressed.

"I am sorry I reacted like a jealous oaf. I knew you were unaware of his infatuation with you, but I cannot help it... I... Have never been this... Possessive before. Johanna says, that maybe I am subconsciously worried about you choosing a more age appropriate lad to settle down with, or that I am driven into a blinding lust because of your innocence... like a primal reaction of sorts?... Maybe it is, I do not know. All I know is that, when I look at you... Time, age, circumstance... None of it exists. Only you. I have never wanted to be with a woman as much as I want to be with you, and I am not referring to a physical relationship, although I really want that. I am talking about being with you all the time, knowing that we belong to each other... Does that make any sense to you?"

"Yes... I think I understand the primal need to mark your territory so to speak. I feel it too. I also feel inclined to be with you, and now that you pose a possible explanation... I think that if you need to assert dominance and ownership over me, I in turn have chosen you to be my male protector and provider... I did not think I needed one of those, I had been operating just fine without one for so long. I could take care of my family and provide for them without a man, but now that I have you... It feels nice to know I can let go. I... I want to submit to you, like you are my alpha male of sorts."

He shifted uncomfortably, he did not like where that was going, the implications of her words weighting heavily on his chest. "I rather, we are just a partnership with equality." He said stiffly, "You are my Lady, not my slave. There will undoubtedly be scenarios and occasions in which I will be responsible for making all the decisions, but I hope that in our family, we can have a dialogue... That is why I drew up that agreement for Prim... Katniss, I do not wish you to lose your independence, I do not wish you to become a mindless wife that only does as she is told. You are a strong woman, with a bright mind, and a will that is only yours. Stay yourself, do not change your essence because of me, then you will not be the Katniss I fell in love with... We can find other ways to satisfy that stupid psychological primal need of playing roles..."

At this she pushed out of his arms roughly. "Don't!"

He was confused, he did not know what he said or did, but it clearly spooked her. "Don't what? Katniss, talk to me... What did I do?" He said confusedly.

"Don't go saying that you love me... Do not say it... Not directly... It's... It's bad luck... In my family at least!" She said looking out of sorts.

"Bad luck? How, can it be bad luck to tell someone how you truly feel for them? Plus... I thought you did not put stock in superstitions" he was both amused and worried about her reaction.

"Actually, since I came here, I have learned that there is a wealth of bad omens one should heed!" She said in a serious no nonsense tone.

"Alright... Well, just so you know, I believe the opposite... It is a bad thing not to tell the ones you care about how you feel for them, as often as you can speak the words" he said raising his eyebrow.

"Well... I... Know how you feel about me, without you having to tell me, so it is not necessary to jinx a good thing with words. If you can convey your feelings so effectively without them already." She said scrambling to stand up.

"Katniss..." He sighed, trying to stand up as well, but she cut him off

"Just do not say it! Alright?" She was already on her feet, straightening her skirts, then she fixed him with a scary glare. "My Father told us he loved us, and he left our home, to never return... My Mother, on the other hand, used to tell him all the time that he was the only one she loved, and it tuned out true, because when he died, she died with him. So, please... The words are strong and binding and you cannot escape them after they leave your mouth."

Peeta inhaled deeply. "Alright, Katniss. If that is what you want. I will not say the words: I LOVE YOU directly to you," he stared right into her eyes with a great intensity, if he was not allowed to say it again, he would make the most out of this one chance. "I will figure out other ways to show you how I feel. I just hope one day, we can tell each other the words I LOVE YOU properly," he reached for her, and pulled her to him. "Because, the next time that I am allowed to tell you that I LOVE YOU, I will be expecting an I LOVE YOU in return... Is that clear?" His lips were brushing hers, she had no idea how did this happened so fast, but she was powerless to stop it. He kissed her tenderly and unhurriedly, which she allowed wholeheartedly. He thought that there was no gift more perfect than the lips of his sweetheart.

The actually party was a basic duplicate to the Yule Festival they held at the barn but not at all the same at once. It was definitely a smaller affair, but it was held in main house. Katniss had hired catering services again, and had a generous table of various dishes and beverages. An enormous 5 tier cake with an ornate number 30 on top was set aside on its own table, similarly to how her boar was displayed. Everyone was given a half day off of work the next day, they could choose to work morning or afternoon, and they could eat and drink as much as they pleased. Unlike the Festival, everyone had an 11:00 curfew for this event, and everyone was encouraged to retire right away after 11:00.

The whole house sang the special Birth day song, to deafening volumes. The man and woman cheered and hooted and had a great time of merriment until the Grandfather Clock announced it was time to call it a night.

Katniss had encouraged Peeta to go up to their chamber ahead, while she settled with Mrs Rooba for their services. Then, she made sure Cecilia would be up early to help her straighten up the dining hall. She told her that she arranged for Lady Trinket to be the one in charge during the morning, same as Thresh. She anticipated she and the Duke would have a late morning the next day. It was time she brought out the surprise birthday present she had prepared for him.

She made her way into the chamber, she noticed he was NOT in the chamber, she checked the washroom, and he was also not there. So, she figured he was in his study, although she had asked him to come to bed right away. ' _This is fine, this will work in my favor_ ' she mused. She got to work, she locked the doors to the antechamber, and she thanked her stars Peeta had insisted on having that little chain and lock installed. This would for sure work in her favor.

 

==========================

 

Peeta had been absorbed reading into his mail, when he found two pieces he decided to set aside. He had written thank you notes to all his well-wishers, and had put them into envelopes to be sealed and mailed in the next business day.

He then turned his attention to the two unopened letters on the corner of his desk. He tried to decide which one to open first. Both made him uncomfortable, one had the Royal Seal in the shape of a rose, the other one had a Trident burned into green wax.

He decided to go with the one from the King, he concluded after a long moment that it could not contain any bad news, it was his birthday, and he was the King's only kin outside his immediate family. The Queen, a cold woman by the name of Alma, from the House of Coin, had a previous claim to the throne; instead of contesting it, the two parts decided a marriage would fix the problem if they governed as co-rulers. The arrangement had worked for almost 15 years, but both monarchs tended to disagree in most matters, thus causing big confrontations in public, hurting their politics and stability everywhere. There was another problem for the King and Queen of Panem, they lacked an heir. They seldom shared a chamber, let alone a bed, so finally they were forced by their counsel to procreate. They were lucky, they were successful in just a few short months, and the odds where in their favor, as the baby was born a boy, this meant he would inherit the throne without contest. A few months later, 6 to be exact, the King's only sibling, a sister, gave birth to a male child. As the King and Queen had no other issue, and the Queen had been an only child, and the King's only blood relative was Mrs. Mellark, Duchess of Merch, the little future Duke, stood in direct line behind his cousin the Crown Prince, Cato.

As the only blood relatives they had alive they had a terrible family relationship. But, because of proprietary, they were still expected to exchange cards and greetings as different milestones were reached... Being 30 years of age, was a celebrated milestone. He was considered an adjusted, rounded person now, with life experiences and advices worth giving and or taking.

He opened the envelope and was glad to see it was just a greeting card for both Yule time and his Birth date. It did not say much, just two measly congratulatory lines from his uncle, as was protocol. He breathed easily for a moment, and lowered the card; he pulled his stationary to write a response, but then noticed at the back of the little note scribbled in a different, more slanted hand writing than the King's:

_"Dearest Cousin,_

_My 30 birth anniversary to you will arrive in a few months’ time, when I get a deserving princess for a wife, you can have yours back! Enjoy your days of freedom as they are coming to a close!_

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Cato, Crown Prince of Panem"_

His was biting down so hard he felt his teeth at brink of chipping. He had never cared much for Cato, but this slight had gone too far. His uncle had never mocked or taunted him over his arrangement with Cashmere. It was an unspoken agreement that he would not bother his nephew and have his fun, while Peeta looked the other way and stayed away from the Capitol at his beloved house in Merch where he rather be.

He ripped through the envelope containing Finnick's letter. He knew this had to do with Cashmere because it came from the attorney stationary of Lord Finnick Odair, as opposed to the official stationary of the Baron Quattro as it would normally be if it was friendly correspondence.

The letter was short, and precise. He had gathered information to build a case to bring forth to the courts, showing Cashmere's infidelity with multiple partners, one of them even a woman; this presented some difficulty, as the woman was a noblewoman, engaged to be married to a nobleman. If they proceed with this line of accusation they would be damaging the other woman's (and possibly the intended groom) reputation for good. Which was viewed as bad form by some. And depending on the family, there could be a feud and other allegations and irreparable damage to all parts, so it was a delicate affair to be considered.

There were two more items of interest in the Baron's missive: first, the Queen, who had been ill for many years, was at death's doors... The rumor was that she had been poisoned for years by the King himself, but no one would ever investigate the allegations to prove them right or wrong. As a direct result of the Queen's convalescence, came the second of the important pieces of information: the Prince was being pressured by his mother, to marry, and produce an heir... The Queen, wanted him to at least wed before she expired, therefore, he had been canvassing for prospective brides, he will soon marry, thus ending the liaison between himself and the Duchess. The belief was that once the affair had been broken, the Royal House would withdraw their protection from her, and discard her without remorse. At that time Peeta would have grounds to a divorce on account of her many dalliances.

This at least, was something Peeta could look forward to. Just a little bit longer... He would be free! Free to pursue the love of his life, free to marry Katniss and free to have the life, and family he had not realized he craved so much... Yes, finally, it seems like the odds were aligning in his favor.

 

=========================

 

It was little past Midnight and Peeta moved furtively while entering his bedchamber, sure that Katniss would be already asleep. He was not surprised to find the window curtains drawn. There was still fire in the hearth... A very tall fire, he noticed!

He looked into the rest of the room, and was stunned into silence by the sight that greeted him.

Katniss... His beautiful, and very awake Katniss, was sitting on the corner of the bed, one arm wrapped around the pole closest to him, leaning into the pole, bare toes that peeked from under the hem of her clothing gracing the floor; hair tied high into a tight bun, held in place by slim sticks. Her luminescent skin seemed to glitter in the soft light of the fireplace. She smiled at him.

He was frozen in place, he could not move, she stood up and slowly made her way to him. Her nightgown was an ethereal flowing dress the color of the sunset made out of layers and layers of a gossamer like material that fell loose around her lithe, petit frame and gave her the illusion of floating in the air. It was sleeveless, only held by a ribbon tied in a flimsy bow that crisscrossed loosely around her neck. She was a vision and pure temptation.

"Welcome to my humble chamber, my Lord..." She practically purred. "I have been waiting for you... Sir" she bit her lower lip seductively. ' _Damn! When did she learn to do that?'_

"I hope you have not been waiting long, my Lady... If I had known that I had an appointment with a creature as etheral as you look right now, I would have been here sooner!" He finally said, voice strained, he could barely keep his hands put, and all his blood was pooling in his lower half, making it very difficult to function properly.

"Mmm... I seem to remember asking you politely to come straight to bed... If you took a detour... Well, that is your own fault. Nothing I can do about it!" She said with a smile in her pretty plump lips. _'Was she wearing lip gloss?'_

"I apologize... I thought I could get away with reading my correspondence, and it distracted me from my original goal... Which I regret dearly right now." He said and gave her an appreciative swipe with twinkling, hungry blue eyes. Her hands were sliding up and down his broad, chiseled, hard chest.

"Well, I am just glad you finally arrived... It seems that there was one birthday present... You. Never. Got. To. Un... wrap... My. Lord." She punctuated every word by unfastening one of his shirt buttons.

He had conveniently already removed his evening jacket and simple necktie. He had dressed casually for his party that night, and she was secretly grateful for that. Peeta could not think straight, there was only one thought circling his mind _'This is it! Tonight is it!'_ So, when his mouth finally open to speak, the words fell out stupidly and muddled and stuck to the back of his throat.

"Oh no! What shame... Pray, tell me, my Lady... What... What is this present I neglected to..." he swallowed thickly "unwrap?" His hands were twitching by each of his sides; she pushed his shirt wide opened, then slowly peeled it off of his shoulders and arms until he was left wearing only his under shirt.

"Oh... I can give you a hint..." She smiled coyly at him. _'Seriously, where did she pick this up from?'_ "Lift up your arms, Sir, I am going to rid you of this thing." She said pulling at the hem of his undershirt twice in quick succession, he complied in an astonished state, and she brought the article of clothing up and over his head then tossed it at a chair that sat somewhere in the background. Her hands slid up his naked chest and he gave an appreciative grunt.

"Your present, lies beneath a sunset orange curtain, Sir..." She was racking her eyes over his exposed chest, no sign of embarrassment or modesty showing in her face, he was fascinated by her. His breath hitched when her hand slipped down his abdomen and rested on his trousers’ waist band. "The drapery has an opening down the middle... It crisscrosses at one point, but, if you feel inclined to shift it open to one side..." She was pulling cords undone, and unbuckling buckles, unfastening buttons, soon his pants fell to the ground, and this was the moment he realized, her bravery only reached so far, as she could not look at him below the navel. "If... If you move the drapery to the side, you can take a peek of what awaits for you..." Her voice came out less sure, nonetheless, she continued taking a few steps backwards. "Or-um- or you could..." She was nervous now, his member was extended to its full length and throbbing painfully, her overtaking shyness was giving him encouragement; he was now changing into a predator state of mind. He toed off his shoes without bothering to untie his double knotted laces, and stepped out of his trousers, leaving them right where they fell.

"You were saying, my Lady? I could... What?" He asked in a velvety voice that made her look up into his darkening eyes and shiver.

She took a step closer to the bed. "Oh... Um... I was saying, that... Um..." She forced herself to stop shaking, and give him a straight, firm answer. She wanted this after all. "There is this ribbon, tied up into a bow... If you pull it undone, the drapes will fall..." Her coy smile returned brightly, a little less sure, but bright all the same. "Exposing this one gift to your sight!" She said as finally the back of her legs touched the edge of the bed and mattress. He smiled broadly, looking her up and down, he was going to take his time with her.

He stalked her as she found purchase on the bed post keeping herself standing straight. He was merely inches away from her; he reached his hand to caress her face, exposed shoulders, finally gracing the ends of the ribbon she had talked about with his fingers. He asked with a husky dark voice that promised of what was to come.

"And tell me, Katniss... What am I going to encounter once this drape has been removed from my way?"

She quivered as he started to playfully and slowly pull on the ribbons ends. _'She was the perfect blushing bride on her wedding night'_

She breathed out shakily, "You will find... You will find a Virgin..." He finally pulled the cord off, and her nightgown hit the floor. His eyes went completely dark and she closed her tightly, as she could not quit shivering, she slowly reached up to the sticks holding up her bun, and a curtain of raven colored hair fell free.

"Katniss... Open your eyes, baby..." He said softly and she complied... And all she could do was gasp before he lunged upon her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can hear the voices of my faithful readers clamoring for my blood because of this ending... Hey, I promise tons of smutty goodness in the next one, which has already been written and is in the process of being revised by my amazing Beta abk1973. I hope to update chapter 16 by Wednesday or Thursday, so bear with me and don't send a cyber-mob after me!
> 
> Quote from Mockingjay, in bold and italics. Flashback and thoughts in italics. 
> 
> * (Mentioned last chapter) Morpheus: the god of Dreams, and a son of Hypnos the Greek god of Sleep, Morpheus was the God responsible for the dreams of people. The Greek word “morphe” means “form”, his name signifies fashioner or moulder, because he shape-shifted into dreams or formed the dreams which appeared to the sleeper. When 'in the arms of Morpheus' people would enjoy a sound sleep, but would also see dreams about their future or even coming events. Morpheus was the dream messenger of the Gods.
> 
>    
> Next chapter, we are jumping forward to the return of the Everdeens, one month ahead. We are getting close to the end... Thank you for being such an amazing group of Everlark Fans!


	16. Perfect!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own recognizable Characters or places mentioned in here, from the Hunger Games series. 
> 
> Thank You abk1973, beta-ing back to back chapters in such a very short span of time. I know our readers love you for that as much as they do for your own writing!
> 
> Warning: this chapter is 15% plot, the rest is divided between fluff and pure and explicit smut. Hope you are not easily offended.

He stretched his arm across the bed, but all he found was cold, empty sheets under his fingers. His head rose looking for her with a frantic gaze, his heart pounding hard in his chest; but he found her almost immediately. She was more gorgeous than ever, the waking sun seemed to pale against her smooth luminous skin, oh, the amount of skin he could spy from his spot in the bed! She was sitting on the wide windowsill under the open crystal panels, a frigid zephyr brushing against her face made tendrils of her dark long hair dance softly around her pretty, serene face. She had loosely wrapped a deep green shawl around herself, a death grip on the balled up ends of her shawl held it up against the middle of her chest, half her arms under the cottony material, but her shoulders and back remained bare to him. While the soft fabric covered her perfect backside and the very top of her thigh, leaving the rest of her legs uncovered; she sat with her weight on one of her legs while the other just dangled sensuously down the sill where she was perched. He smiled broadly; one word swam in his mind: ' _MINE_ '

He pushed off the mattress supporting his weight on his elbow to get a better view of the object of his affections. She was idly playing with a lock of her hair, twirling the long tendril around and in between the fingers of her free hand. He wondered what was she thinking of? Why would she be out of bed and with the windows open? She was bare under that shawl after all. As silently as he could, he pushed up off the bed, and padded his way to her. While in the process of standing up, his gaze fell upon the soft cream colored bedsheets, stained with bloody streaks, evidence of the consummation of their relationship and true feelings for each other. He observed the many spots and flecks, residue of the many times he claimed her as his, had brushed off of them, and all he could think was: ' _luckiest man alive! She is all mine!_ ' His member twitched, the involuntary hardness of early morning overtaken by pure anticipation.

He was completely naked, and the cold air coming from the open window hit him like a ton of bricks; how she could sit there and not be frozen to her core, he did not know. His hands found her first, she startled slightly, it was not very often he could sneak up and surprise her. She quickly relaxed, knowing it could only be him, she sniffed the faint smell of his scent, mixed with something else she could not determine; once she shifted to lean her back against his chest, she caught her own scent... Not her regular body scent, but the brand new one she was wearing at the moment: a mixture of sweat, and him, and her, and faint traces of her maidenhead, it was not all pleasant; she realized that was the unspecified scent she had perceived on him... They smelled just the same now, this notion made her stomach take a dangerous flip... They smelled like sex, and she promised herself, she was going to learn to love the new scent they made together.

"Morning..." He said in her ear, burrowing his face in her hair. "I miss you in bed... You should come back with me" he said softly, leaving a trail of tiny kisses on her neck and shoulder.

Shivering slightly, "Mmm... You just want me there so you can take me again... I am on to you, Peeta Mellark, you deviant!" She purred back at him, all the stern effect lost as she stretched her arm to grasp behind his head, bringing him to meet her mouth for a searing kiss, while exposing her breasts to him. He took it as an invitation, and his hand was soon covering and massaging her soft peak, hardened and cold by the winter breeze. She moaned, he let his hand travel downward.

"That is not why I want you to return to bed. I just want to cuddle with my girl under the warm covers... But I am sure it will happen again eventually." He nipped at her lips, his hand finally at the apex of her thighs "I do not hear you protesting much about this... I would actually dare say..." He swiped his fingers over her moist center, "You feel quite ready for another round!" She moaned, but closed her legs forcibly right away.

"Peeta darling, give me more time. I am quite sore... Everywhere." She whined in a mixture of regret and shyness. This only made him bring his arms around her body until both his hands were slipping under her thighs, he heaved her up bridal style and walked her back to bed, lowering her onto the mattress gently and as soon as his precious cargo was secured under the comforter, he turned on his heel to go close the window panels and draw the curtains shut. She followed him with her gaze, and when he turned to head back to bed he noticed her staring at where his backside had been a second ago. He was now giving her a full frontal view of his physique; she bit her lips and her eyes darted to the ground, blushing crimson, even after all they had done the previous evening, she still found it difficult to look at him; he smiled, and his heartbeat redoubled it's march. The erection he had been sporting for who knows how long, throbbed impatiently, but she had told him she was sore and clearly not ready for another go, and he was willing to wait for her... They would have time later; she faired amazingly well on her first night, which was not a short night either, she had earned her rest.

He got into the warm covers of their bed... Their marital bed! He felt his heart swell into his chest, happiness like this was so new to him, so alien, he could not believe it was possible. If he was a goner before last night...this morning he had no will left in him but hers.

"Sweetheart, tell me where it aches." He asked her gently.

"Umm..." She took a stuttering breath, "mmm-my, my um, leg joints?" She said almost inaudibly, "and between the legs as well..." her eyes downcast. She was so embarrassed she hid her face behind a sheet of dark hair so he would not see her cheeks tinged red. "The outside muscles of my thighs and the muscles under my... Um... Buttocks..." Again, her voice was barely audible, "and my arms, although they are more tired than sore... My torso and lower back..." She chuckled "I believe it would be easier to list what does _not_ hurt." She said softly, trying to keep her face away from his.

He felt a strange mixture of pride and guilt at her catalog of aching body parts. He caused her that pain, granted it was not like the bruises from when he attacked her in anger like a drunken mutt; those bruises had completely healed, thank heavens. No, these aches were acquired in a more acceptable... If not downright, pleasant manner, but they were aches nonetheless. He put his fingers under her chin, and lifted her face to his, with his other hand, he lovingly pushed back the hair covering her face, and then caressed her cheek, ' _MINE!'_

"I apologize for that my sweet; I hope with time, we can do this without causing you discomfort." He said softly.

She blushed even more if that was possible. She nodded bashfully in agreement. "But, I still do not understand, why did you get out of bed sweetie? You should have stayed in and continued to rest" he insisted. "Lay down on your stomach, let us see if I can massage some of the muscles in your back and legs, hopefully it will relieve the pain... You should... stay in bed the rest of the day?" He offered hesitantly. She was already complying with his instructions, finding a comfortable spot on her pillows "I will mind the house today. What do you think?" He said as his warm hands started to rub her aching skin softly.

She moaned when his hands found a painful knot, relaxing under his touch. "I think that you are possibly the sweetest, most caring husband a wife could ever ask for..." She said with a relieved sigh. He chuckled loudly.

She felt the bed shift under his weight, as he positioned himself closer to her ear, "That is because I am sweet on you and I truly care, dear..." He kissed her shoulder.

"I know..." She whispered, turning her head to face him, "I am sorry you woke up to an empty bed... I just, felt at peace with nature I guess, and... I think I needed a moment with the sky, the sun and the wind." She smiled at him sweetly, he brought his hand that had been rubbing soothing circles on her back, to caress her face tenderly, pushing a stray lock behind her ear, ' _Mine_ ', and kissed her nose earning himself a giggle that quickly turned into a soft painful grunt. Still smiling and wincing at the same time, she said, "If it was not for this acute muscle pain every time I move... I would be perfectly content with the world right about now!" He gave her an apologetic smile, before assuring her, she would be allowed to stay where she was, like his own personal queen.

"The first thing I am going to do for you today my mistress, is to draw you a relaxing bath. Then I am going to call the maids to dress the bed in fresh sheets so you can rest in a nice, clean..." He did not get a chance to finish his lovely thought, as she shoot up out of the bed, face panic stricken...

"No! Please! Do not call the maids in... They will see... They will know... Everyone will know..." She was beside herself, this caused him to rush to her, pulling her by the wrists while she tried with all her might to free herself from him, but he as usual he overpowered her easily.

"Hey, hey... Calm down, sweetie, calm down. It will be alright, we will have Cecilia come do it, she is the most discreet maid in the house, the only other woman as prudent as her is Old Sae... She will not say anything, if it makes you uncomfortable..." He tried to reasoned with her, but she just shook her head stubbornly.

"NO! There will be gossip... They will say that I slept with you, that I gave myself to you like a- like a... Common whore... Oh God... And it would be true... I did give myself to you, we had sex!" She yelped, as if she just now realized what she had done. "Peeta... Peeta... I-I-I... I am not a whore... I just... I just wanted to make your 30th birthday special; I wanted to make you happy, to let you know that I am committed to you... That I L... Care about you... Please... Please, you have to believe me..." She was crying hysterically.

"KATNISS, CALM DOWN!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her one firm shake, and then pulled her to his chest, her breath hitched and came back to her senses. "We have to change the bed sheets, we cannot sleep in these forever... As much as I would love to save them, and frame them, and showcase them, because **I**  am proud of what we did last night. I wish I could proclaimed that I finally made love to you, that you are mine, only mine, forever mine. But, realistically I know the sheets need washing, and you need to calm down, and accept that, yes, you gave yourself to me last night, and yes, we had sex, and it was amazing, unforgettable and so, so good... You are not a whore, baby..." He cradled her face in both his hands, the pads of his thumbs caressing her cheeks gently, his blue piercing eyes boring into her still frantic grey ones. "You are not a whore..." He whispered. "You are my beloved Katniss, my Concubine, and my _symbolic wife_ , who soon will be my lawful wife... People will figure out we are sexually active sooner or later... Especially if we mistakenly leave the windows open at night, which, again I would not mind at all, because the noises you make...are like music to my ears..." She had stopped crying, her breathing back to normal, but as soon as she heard him say those words, she turned beet red and lowered her gaze.

"Hey! Stop that. Look at me" he said forcing himself to stay soft. She returned her gaze to his shyly. He said in a firm whisper "Katniss, you never have to feel ashamed in front of me... Never! Do you understand me?" She nodded mutely. "Good... I love you!" He said quickly, and before she could react to the declaration of feelings, he planted a hard kiss on her mouth, that made her forget the reason they were standing there in the middle of the room completely nude. He broke the kiss and soon after he moved them to the adjoining bathroom. She trailed behind him, walking stiffly, legs separated slightly and awkwardly, and grimacing with every step taken.

He made sure he locked the antechamber's service door, but since there was already an outfit laid out for him and gown pulled out for her, he concluded no one would be coming into the room to interrupt them. He went to work on drawing that bath he had promised her, he glanced at her, and saw her standing there uncomfortably. She did not have a stitch of clothing on her, and her arms were crossed over her chest nervously, she tried to discreetly cross her legs as well, attempting to hide her nakedness, but quickly gave it up, because she was burning between the thighs. He got up from where he had been crouched next to the tub, and walked to her slowly. Her nervousness increased, she had no idea what to do with her hands or legs, she arranged her hair to fall over her breasts covering them, but she could not do much else to keep a semblance of modesty... She was bare in front of him, his eyes roamed all over her body... Her body, which now belonged to him. The thought made her relax a little bit; she forced herself to stop fidgeting and stay still, so he could have his fill. She found that she liked it when he watched her like that, like he could not believe his lucky stars, so she finally let go of her apprehension. She was his, emotionally and now physically as well; she was his, and he was right, people would find out sooner or later that they had consummated her legal contract. She realized she owed him an apology for her erratic behavior.

She swallowed hard; she had not realized how thirsty she was, until then. "My darling...?" She said tentatively, he looked up at her face; his eyes seemed a little surprised by the term of endearment. "I... I am sorry I reacted like a crazy silly girl... I-I know I was being irrational and stupid about the whole thing... I... I can only imagine how it looked in your eyes... my cries... Like maybe I was regretting it, or something equally disturbing... I do not regret it! Not one little bit! I swear... I am proud of us coming together like that, as much as you are. And I am sorry if I made you feel otherwise with my actions... You are right, of course; we cannot sleep in those bloody sheets. I just... I just do not want them to be framed and exposed to other people to see... Please?" She was anxious; he laughed reaching for her waist, closing the space between them to kiss her sweetly.

"I will not frame the sheets, I swear... I will be sad to have the evidence of our lovemaking be washed away, especially this one, for what it represents: our first time. But, it is necessary." He kissed her chastely, and she finally relaxed.

He guided her to the tub, helped her in, and then moved out of the room to call the help to take care if their chamber. He returned to the washroom, and she smiled at him from the tub. She shyly and silently gestured for him to join her. He was immediately glad, he had splurged in this one luxury for himself many years ago. He possessed, possibly the only bathtub big enough to accommodate two people, in the whole district.

In an age, when bath tubs were merely big laundry basins, usually oblong in shape and not bigger than 2 feet wide by 4 feet long, that usually had to be carried in and out of the washing rooms, his tub, was state of the art. made out of dark wood, lined with a porcelain like resin on the inside, round in shape, 5 feet in diameter, 2 and a half feet deep, held together by silver rims at the top and bottom. And because of its size, he had made sure the tub had its own drainage system, which he kept functioning with constant maintenance checks.

As soon as he joined her in the warm waters, she moved to sit on his lap, curling into his embrace. They started having a whispered conversation, while soaking in the soapy water. He realized soon enough, that as he had fantasized about doing certain things in bed with her, being in the tub with him exactly the way they were at that moment, was her fantasy. It was not sexual, although they were nude, and she was sitting on his manhood with her bare rear, rubbing each other every time they moved; no, for her it was not about the sex, but the intimacy. Her head was laying on his shoulder, her hair partly submerged in the water, she was on her side on top of him, playing with his blond curly chest hairs, while she talked about nothing in particular, and he listened and smiled, and made little jokes just to hear her giggle. She had never done that before, being so relaxed with any one, she realized he was her best friend... A friend she talked to, in the tub while bathing... At the same time... Who was a boy... A naked boy, who has been inside of her... Multiple times already...

Her face started to burn bright red at the thought. The memories of the night before came rushing back to her, and she felt the excitement in her loins, as she remembered everything that had happened between them during their perfect night:

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She unbuttoned and removed his shirt, and was enjoying the view and feel of his warm, perfectly chiseled chest; she had never allowed herself this pleasure, the one of lust for him, now she would, without reserve.

"Your present, lies beneath a sunset orange curtain, Sir..." She heard his breath hitch when her hand slipped down his abdomen and reached his waist band. "The drapery has and opening down the middle... It crisscrosses at one point, but, if you feel inclined to shift it open to one side..." She hoped he would take the hint and move the gown to the side, and touch her. She was pulling cords undone and unbuckling buckles, unfastening buttons, his pants and under trousers fell to the ground. She was not prepared to see his manhood, at least not like that; the sheer size of him unnerved her, the way it bobbed up and down, as if nodding in greeting to her, made all her fears return with a vengeance, _'It is going to hurt, he will not fit... He will not fit, and he will be disappointed for it, and I would be worthless as a lover'_ she thought frantically. She remembered, she was in the middle of giving him instructions about the sophisticated negligee Cinna had created for her, for this sole purpose.

"If... If you move the drapery to the side, you can take a peek of what awaits for you..." Her voice came out less sure; she took a few steps backwards. "Or-um- or you could..." She faltered nervously. She could not look at his member, not now, not ever. She saw him cock his head to one side, and a dangerous glint overtake the surprised look that had been in his gaze until then. She saw him toeing off his shoes without bothering to untie his double knotted laces, and step out of his trousers, leaving them right where they fell.

"You were saying, my Lady? I could... What?" His voice was velvety, greedy, wolfish. She shivered at the way his eyes had darkened so fast, she also felt her body react, her body was ready for him to take charge, she could feel dampness between her legs.

She took another step backwards. "Oh... Um... I was saying, that... Um..." She forced herself to stop shaking, and give him a firm answer. She was ready for this, she wanted this. "There is this ribbon, tied up into a bow... If you pull it undone, the drapes will fall..." She tried to smile at him like before, but was afraid she was failing. "Exposing this one gift for your sight!" She was against the bed now; she quickly leaned on one bed post for support. He smiled broadly at her; he looked her up and down, liking his lips unconsciously. He stalked her as if she was prey. He was merely inches away from her; he reached his hand to caressed her face and shoulders, finally gracing the ribbon that held the fabric up. He asked with a husky dark voice,

"And tell me, Katniss... What am I going to encounter once this drape has been removed from my way?"

He started to playfully and slowly pull on the ribbon.

She breathed out shakily, "You will find... You will find a Virgin..." He pulled the cord off at her words, and her nightgown hit the floor. His eyes went completely dark, only a slim ring of blue was left around his big pupils. She shut her eyes tightly, she could not stop shivering, she slowly reached up a hand to pull out the sticks holding up her bun, and a curtain of raven colored hair fell free down her back. She then heard his soft voice.

"Katniss... Open your eyes, baby..." she complied... And all she could do was gasp when faced with his hungry stare, before he lunged at her, his mouth covering hers demandingly. He pressed her against the bed post urgently, she could feel his entire body flushed against her own, and the feel of his warm skin on hers was heaven. Letting go of her mouth, he latched on to her neck.

She whimpered. His hands where everywhere all at once, roaming desperately. "You are so beautiful Katniss... God, you are perfect!" He mumbled against her collarbone. "Please tell me that I can have you tonight... That I can change that virgin status of yours... Tell me, you will be mine tonight sweetheart..." He kissed the other side of her neck and his hands were squeezing her breasts and buttocks interchangeably.

"Yeeeees" she moaned loudly, as his mouth closed around one of her nipples. "I want you to take me, Peeta... Right now... I-I promised you, you could have your way a few days ago, didn't I?" Her fingers where tangled into his blond locks, pulling his hair hard every time he did something like bite or suck on her breast. She kept squeezing her thighs together, rubbing them and moving against him. He smiled into her breast, and without removing his lips from her he chuckled a "Yes, you did promise I would have my way with you, my lady!"

"I want you to have your way, darling... Anything you want..." She moaned.

He released her breast with a loud pop, and stood in front of her, he cradled her face in his big warm hands, asking her for the second time, to open her eyes, except this time he sounded stern. She had not noticed her eyes had been shut, until then. What she found confused her. There was a crease in his forehead, and his eyes were unhappy, she wondered what she had said to earn this reaction out of the man that was eagerly lapping at her upper body a second ago.

"Babe, look at me... This is serious, and I do not want you to be confused, or take it the wrong way." He said with a no nonsense tone of voice, the crease on his forehead still in place. "Katniss, sweetheart, I am a man, much older than you are... I have been with women before, and I have done things... Many things, with them..." She tried to pull away from him angrily, her feelings getting hurt by his words, but he held her in place, not budging. "Katniss, this. is. serious!" He growled grabbing her face more forcefully than before. She startled, but stilled for him. "I do not, EVER, want you to give me that much license regarding _anything_  in our relationship, I could do many things to you, that you would not appreciate me doing... Baby, sex can be misused, it can hurt people, it can pervert, and you are so innocent, so pure... I am already scared of all the things that go through my mind sometimes, and that is just mere thinking... Do not tempt me to do something you are not ready to do and enjoy. Be careful with what you offer me to have tonight, sweetie... I want your first time to be special, loving, and sweet..." His demeanor softened, he caressed her face tenderly. She was confused as to what could he do to her, that had him in such a state. She knew that once he claimed her, it would hurt, she was prepared for that. But she was not sure, he had been talking about physical pain when he gave her that warning.

He took a step backwards, since he noticed he was crushing her against the carved wood of the post, and it could not be comfortable for her. She broke the stare, and look at their feet.

"I am sorry" she apologized in a very small voice, she had no idea why, but she felt she needed to.

He held her chin in his index finger, and lifted it up. "Now, why would a beautiful goddess as yourself, apologize to a mere mortal such as me?" He said returning to a more affable semblance.

"I... I ruined the whole thing... I opened my mouth and you stopped, and now, we are not going to... You know... Be together... And I wanted to make it special for you, for your birthday, I mean..." He shut her up with a kiss; he kissed her thoroughly, leaving her breathless, speechless. He looked at her swollen lips, and widened grey swirling eyes, he could not contain himself.

"Perfect... You are so incredibly perfect" he breathed out slowly. "You did not ruin anything; I was just setting rules for myself..." He whispered into her ear, "I am so... Ready for this sweetie, it would take the destruction of the world, to stop me from laying you down on that bed, and... taking you for myself." She shivered, and it was as if there had been no interruptions. He was on her neck and breasts once more, and her hands on the nape of his head, and shoulders. She gasped when he bent down to kiss under her breast, over her navel, then lower, and lower, and now he was on his knees, lifting one of her legs over that shoulder she was just caressing.

She cried out when she felt his tongue there. She let go of his head, and gripped the pole behind her, so she could keep herself up. He licked, and sucked her fleshy button; she started moving her hips involuntarily, until he grabbed them and held her in place. She was losing strength in her legs, the now familiar feeling of her approaching climax overtook her, and suddenly she was sliding down her post, trembling uncontrollably. After he was sure she was done, he stood up, taking her hands from behind her, where they were holding on to the bedpost and pulled her to him. he kissed her mouth, and she tasted herself on him for the first time, she was shocked by the strong musky smell and distinctive taste, but she had little time to dwell in the thoughts. He picked her up by the knees, she wrapped her legs around him, and he tumbled them both onto the mattress.

Once in bed, he kissed her face everywhere, he trailed sloppy wet kisses all over her face, her jaw, her neck, the expanse of her chest and arms. He took his time to kiss her hands and fingers. He would whispered little sweet things against her skin intermittently, telling her how beautiful, perfect, flawless she was, how much he had dreamed of this moment. How much he craved her, how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life, kissing her just like this. She would respond with moans, gasps, and mewls. He loved each one of her sounds. He was back at her breast, he spent a long time caressing her there, rolling her little dark pink buds, pulling on them with his fingers and lips. Then he moved on to her flat stomach, he did not spent much time there, just enough to kiss every bit of skin he found, and then he was back at the apex of her thighs.

"Katniss, from this moment onward, I will be telling you what I am going to do, that way you will know what to expect. I want you to relax, I want you to trust me. If you are uncomfortable with anything, if you do not like something, if anything is painful, I want you to tell me immediately. Promise, you will tell me if you want me to stop for any reason..." He looked right into her eyes, "promise me baby!" He urged her.

"I-I promise Peeta... I will tell you if I am uncomfortable." She said in a very small voice.

"That's my girl." He said, and kissed her once in the lips. "Honey... do you like it when I have my mouth in your womanhood?" His voice was straining a little while his thumbs caressed circles around her hips.

The question caught her off guard, she blushed furiously, "Katniss, please... You need to tell me what you like and dislike. And I want you to be truthful with your answers... There is no reason to be shy with me... I mean... Look at us! We are in bed, nude together." He smiled softly at her, trying to make her feel at ease. "Tell me, sweetheart... Do you like it when I kiss you down here? in your privates?" He asked once more while his thumb caressed her sleek folds, his voice softer, his chin resting on her stomach.

She looked down at him, and nodded her head shyly, biting her lower lip. He smiled brightly at her.

"Good! Because I love doing that to you, I will do that again right now... And, this time..." He hesitated for a moment, but then found her gaze and said as clear as he could, "I am going to use my fingers... We need to get you ready." She nodded again, not entirely sure of what did he meant by ' _using his fingers_ ' and ' _getting her ready'_.

He moved lower into the bed, siting on his heels. His hands caressed her legs and thighs, and slowly he lowered himself back to the bed. He kissed her feet and toes, and calves, shins, thighs and hips, finally he came back to her middle, and he kissed her there. He lapped at her folds eliciting a litany of moans from her, then she felt his thumb on her nerve point... The gasp that escaped her throat was so different that any sound she had ever made, she was not sure it came from her.

He stopped his ministrations with his mouth; he wanted to look at her thrashing for a moment while his thumb kept up its work. "You look so beautiful right now Katniss, this is how I want to see you always..." He licked her once and she bucked her hips up to him, "I am going to use my fingers now... I want you tell me if this is uncomfortable... We need to stretch you a little..." He said softly, she was confused, she thought he was already using his thumb, _'a thumb is considered a finger, right? What could he mean by using his fingers?... To stretch her?'_ She soon found out.

He returned his mouth her folds, she was dripping by now, he knew she was sufficiently lubricated for him, but he felt guilty, for not having done this before in their earlier encounters. Now he was about to introduced this foreign object into her cavern and he should had prepared her body for this shock better. So, he worked his mouth a little longer, to gather confidence, and then... He slid one finger slowly into her opening, her reaction was immediate, her whole body tensed and her eyes grew to unparalleled proportions.

"Peeta?" She gasps in surprise.

"Shhh..." He scrambled up along her length, until he reached her face, all the while keeping his finger where it was... first knuckle deep into her entrance. He kissed her temple, "Is alright, darling... We just need to start with something easy... Just relax; I will be as tender as I can, alright?" He kissed her temple once more. "Trust me?" She nodded.

He then brought his other hand to caress her face, he started kissing her nose, lips, jaw, neck, all the while, sliding his finger little by little deeper into her warmth. She was having trouble breathing; she kept stopping and holding her breath from time to time, although with his kisses she was starting to relax. Soon his finger was all the way inside of her, and he gave her a minute to decide if this was alright with her. He started to move his finger softly, in and out, her breath hitching every time he pushed in, and relaxing when he pulled out. The sensations she felt were foreign, strange, but oh so good at the same time. It made her feel exactly like an orgasm and so different at the same time.

Meanwhile, he kept studying her face... He would kiss her, a lot, but right before he did something different, he would look up and watch her facial expressions, to gage her responses. He wanted her to feel good.

"Baby, I am going to use another finger, and then my thumb... If this is not alright with you, please let me know." He whispered into her ear, her only answer was to bring her mouth to his and kiss him sloppily.

As slowly as he could, he dragged another finger along her folds, inserting it slowly into her, along with his index finger. With this intrusion, she moaned helplessly, like a wounded cat. Her legs spasmed, her feet flattened on the mattress, and her hips jolted upwards, her knees knocked together and rubbed each other.

"Baby, open your legs! Keep them open for me." He whined, moving his legs to wrap around hers, to pin them down for him. He quickly moved his thumb over her bundle of nerves, and massaged it in circular motions, his two fingers sliding in and out of her easily, she was so wet, it was driving him mad. She was moaning and gasping softly, and then went very still, he knew this was it. He quickened the motions of his thumb, and her pelvis started moving in tandem, her hands found his forearm, and her nails dug painfully into his flesh, a second later she screamed his name, while her whole body twitched, her inside walls were doing something intense around his fingers... He almost came just thinking of her pulsing around him. He kept his hand moving quickly, while she was riding her wave of pleasure.

Once her breathing was back to normal, he kissed her lips tenderly, removing his hand from her nether region. "How do you feel?" He asked softly into her neck.

"Mmm... Hmmm..." She sighed causing him to chuckle.

"Did that feel good?" He said smiling while kissing her forehead, she nodded in reply.

"But... Um... What-what about you?" She asked meekly, caressing his stubbled face. He smiled sweetly.

"Soon... I just needed to make sure you were ready for me. I want you to be comfortable with everything we do tonight." He kissed her softly in the lips. Then suddenly, he shifted their positions, so he was leaning against a mound of pillows, and she was lying flat on top of him. This was another new one for them. And she felt his erection pressed between their naked bodies.

She quickly sat up on her heels by his side, her thighs flushed against his, she had a full view of his entire body, she had only glanced at him before, but now, she was really looking. He was taut and muscular, and his body seemed to have been carved by the gods themselves. If she was a goddess, then he was Adonis himself. She allowed the tips of her fingers trace his arm muscles, then his chest, she tentatively touched all around his pale pink areolas, eliciting a soft gasp from him, she quickly retracted her hand and looked at him with open eyes. He had been watching her, studying his chest, then extend her hand to touch him. He was sorry he scared her off, for it felt incredible to be explored by her hands with such curiosity.

"Do not stop... It felt really nice" he whispered, his lips slightly parted.

Her grey eyes flitted back to his chest, and again to his eyes and lips. She was unsure about what to do next, so she asked.

"Um... What... What would you like me to do?" She blushed dark pink, and turned her face away from his, "I... Have no idea of what I am supposed to be doing... Dame Mason, said that men enjoy to be stroked, and that after a few tries I would be decent at it... But... I am not sure how to go about that... And... I have never, um, _seen_ a man, let alone _touched_ one..." She then looked back into his eyes, hers panicking more with every word she spoke. "I am sorry; I am such an awful lover Peeta... I swear I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel. But I do not know how..." She was almost at the brink of tears, "and, I am scared that your..." She pointed at his member behind her without looking at it."... Manhood... Will not fit inside of me, and you will be disappointed..."

"Hey... No, no... None of that... Look at me!" He said sitting up, so he was facing her. "I will fit... snugly at first... But I will fit. I promise. I know how intimidating all of this must be, but... Sweetie, we were made to fit together, you and I! and there is absolutely no way in this world, I would ever be disappointed in you. It does not matter if you are overwhelmed by this and do not know what to do, I did not expect you to know what to do, we will learn about each other's bodies together, and what feels right for us, and what we like. We have the rest of our lives to learn how to please each other, Katniss. Right now, we are about to become one for the very first time, you are not required to do anything, except relax, and let me know how you feel, alright?" He said in his most soothing voice. The truth was, that it was taking all his might, not to toss her under him and pound into her hard and fast, her innocence and sweetness was feeding his mounting desire.

"Alright, Peeta... I just... Mmm... Can I... Can I touch you?" She asked shyly, he felt that animalistic need to pounce, and he bit his lip hard to keep from doing something drastic.

He took a calming breath, and lifted her hand to his lips, he kissed her palm, and then brought her hand to slide down his body. His eyes fixed on hers, but hers were glued to her finger tips sticking out of his bigger hand, grazing his body. Her lips parted as her fingers went lower, she was fascinated by his abdominal muscles, and then her fingers touched the tip of his being. Her eyes snapped at his, and her breathing quickened, the way he was looking at her, scared her and thrilled her, he was hungry for her, she knew it. A new rush of wetness made her shift and gasp.

"Peeta... I am ready..." She breathed out.

"Thank God!" He moved so fast she had no time to feel intimidated by the roughness in his voice, or the lack of irises in his eyes. She was on her back opposite the head of the bed, her hair fanned out and part of it cascaded over the edge of the mattress. He was kissing her hard, pulling her lower lip into his mouth, sucking on it hard. His hands were adjusting her legs to sit at each side of his hips, and he was nestled between them in no time. She moaned, he started kissing her jaw line again, and then he was right at her ear,

"I am going to enter you, Katniss, I will go as slow and gentle as I can... But, please... Let me know if you want me to stop at any point." He kissed her behind her ear, and she arched her head back, to give him better access to her skin, he took it, but did not stay there, his hands came back to her ribcage, his thumb grazing her breast, she keened and moaned softly. He took himself into his free hand, gave her face one last look, her eyes were closed and her mouth was partially open, he brushed his tip against her folds coating his head with her moisture. She gasped and her eyes flew open, her gaze found his, her mouth completely open, he bit down, squaring his jaw, and pushed into her entrance.

He exhaled his breath while she inhaled hers, her back arched off the bed, and landed back down with a soft thud. Her eyes wide and fixed on his. He had only gone as far as his head, but she was so tight and wet, and her face was so out of this world, he felt like he would not last more than a second. He loosened the hold he had on himself, he knew he was going to bruise her ribcage if he did not let go of her, so he did. He placed both hands at either side of her head. His eyes were fixed on hers before he shut them tightly to give himself a moment to calm down. He felt her soft tiny hands caress his face, and then combed his hair. He slowly opened his eyes, and at the sight of her soft loving eyes, he found his peace. She conveyed all her feelings for him in that single look; he knew she loved him, even if she would not say it with words. He kissed her, softly and tenderly, all the while pushing deeper into her, her breath hitching and struggling with every inch of him she took into her warmth. With one, last purposeful push, He was buried to the hilt into his beloved Katniss, and the only signs of discomfort she gave were soft grunts, and the furrowing of her brow, that came with a quick grimace when the pain was a little too much; he had watched her face the whole time, making an effort to mind her subtle signals.

He was kissing her now, and she was breathing deeper and slower. "Katniss, sweetie... Can I... Can I...?" She nodded. And he started moving.

He started slow and easy, she tensed and held onto his shoulders like a vice, her insides were burning, it was discomforting, but she did not want him to stop, she keened, and moaned, and soon she was talking... Talking and saying things she never thought she would be brave enough to say,

"Mmm... Peeta, darling, I have wanted this for a long time... I... Have wanted you to claim me as yours... You have no idea... You are the only one for me; I have known that since the very beginning. I wish I was braver, I wish I had given myself to you earlier... Because I have always been yours, my heart has always been yours, and now my body is yours too." Her voice was laced with want and desire, and her pain was all but forgotten. He had quickened his pace, barely aware of his own actions, this was the closest thing he was going to get to an I love you and he was holding back as to not hurt her, but he was already at the brink, he could not keep going any longer.

"Katniss..." He gasped, "I am close to my climax, and I am going to touch you with my fingers, so you can climax with me." He said almost out of breath, she did not answer him, just relaxed her body a little, he took it as permission, so he brought his hand between them, and with two fingers rubbed her clitoris fast and hard.

She had not expected the coil to tighten so fast deep in her belly. It was probably the fullness she felt from him, that changed everything for her. She realized she loved the feeling of this connection, she loved the notion of his member lodged deep inside of her, making her feel full and somehow more feminine; at some point, she had started to buck her hips into his, and she liked the sensations. So when he put his fingers there, she did not find it strange, but accepted it gratefully. She braced herself, short nails digging into his arms, she was close again.

"Peeta" she breathed, he nodded, and picked up his pace, she could not take the overwhelming sensations, her climax was going to come hard. Squeezing her legs around him, she repeated his name over and over, interspersed with bouts of " _oh God_ "s and " _please_ " and " _oh_ "s...

He was close, so close, but he wanted just one thing to push him over the edge; He growled in her ear "Say you are mine!"

"I'm yours!" She cried out

"Say it again!" He commanded

"I'm yours Peeta, I'm yours!"

"Again"

"I'm yours Love, forever yours, always yours. Nobody else. I belong to you... Always!" She was breathless, her insides where clenching around him, her climax finally a reality. In her frenzy she had not noticed her own wording, but he had, and that was all he needed.

He whispered "I love you Katniss!" letting go, emptying completely inside of her. She shuddered under him, her very tight walls contracting, milking every single drop of his seed.

He slumped on top of her for a moment. After he had recovered enough, he made to move from her, but she tightened her hold on him, her arms were still around his shoulders, and her legs were locked together around his thighs. 

"No..." She whispered, "Please, do not leave my body yet" she begged him softly, and then started sobbing quietly. He slumped again, but tilted his upper body a little to the side, as not to crush her completely under his weight. He brought one of his hands to her face, and tenderly wiped her tears away.

"I am sorry..." She said with a trembling lip, shaking slightly under him.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked soothingly, caressing her face lovingly.

"Because I am a sniveling mess, and for no good reason at all, other than you want to move away from me and I cannot take our separation... And we just had such an earth shattering moment, and all I do is cry like a stupid little lunatic... You are going to think that I hated it, but I did not, I loved it in fact! I did! I swear!" She started crying harder.

He sighed with understanding, and she hated that, "I will have to move eventually, you know." He said into the sheet of her hair he was laying on. "Gravity will see to our disconnection soon enough. You need not to worry about any of it... We will do this again, and it will be better, I promise." He said sweetly, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. "As for the... Umm... Weeping... It is normal and not unexpected at all, sweetie."

"How?"

He smiled benignly at her, from his resting place, and kissed her cheek, "It was your very first time!" He exclaimed a little too happy. "It was a big shock for your body; It was invaded by a foreign body, and it is just reacting to the stress my...intrusion, caused. It was a lot of new sensations happening at once, so crying is an acceptable response." He smiled at her again and kissed her nose.

"All I know, is that I need you to stay put for now... I love the way you feel resting here." She said softly, carding her fingers through his blond locks, her eyes mostly dry now. She kissed the side of his head she could reach.

After a long while of silence, she did not know if they fell asleep or just sat there quietly, breathing each other in. He finally stood up. She felt naked for the first time that night. She had no idea where he had gone, or why. But he came back carrying a small basin and a few towels; she looked at him the dim lights emanating from the dwindling flames in their hearth, made his strong muscular body look like was made out of gold. He set the basin on the floor next to the bed, and pulled on her legs, to right her, as they had been lying diagonally across the bed. She grunted in discomfort by his somewhat brusque move, and he looked at her sheepishly, before apologizing.

"What are you going to do, sweetie?" She asked sleepily.

He smiled softly at her, "I am going to clean you up. Now, same rules still apply in this instance" he said with a pointed look at her, "You will tell me if what I do, bothers you, or hurts in any way, understood?" He waited for her to respond, and then he proceeded to dip a washcloth in the basin filled with warm water, he wrung the excess water, and then wiped her privates. Dipping the cloth again he repeated the steps, wiping her sex, and legs, and even her rear, as some of their residue had leaked down there. She was beyond caring at this point. Although, some of the swipes where a little uncomfortable, she managed just fine. She laid there and watched him take care of her lovingly. Her heart swelled in her chest, and she knew, she loved him more now, than she did even a hour prior.

"I... If I was not as damaged and broken as I am... I would be telling you, how strongly I feel for you right now." She whispered, bringing her hand to his stubbled face, she touched him tenderly. He captured her fingers in one hand, and kissed them.

"I know you would, babe. I know you would... Let us hope, that in time, it becomes easier for you to say it." He chuckled softly "I know I am dying to say it to you... I will content myself by telling you, that you are the only one for me, and that my heart belongs to you... Is that acceptable my lady?" He smirked.

"I can live with that... And I can even say it back, my Lord" she whispered, "You are the only one for me; my heart has no other owner than you!" They kissed in a sweet and soft manner, "Peeta... Are you done with the cleaning?" She asked tentatively.

"Um... Yes, I think I am."

"Then get in bed already! I miss your arms!" She whined, he laughed heartily.

"Fine, let me dispose of this basin and..." She sat up, and ripped the towels from his hands, she then leaned out of the edge of the bed and was shocked to see the water had a pink tint to it, she frowned at it for a moment, realizing the washcloth had streaks of pink and red on it as well, she only puzzled about this for a moment before shoving the things deeper under the bed. She then righted herself and grabbed the hands of a now cackling Peeta, and pulled him in bed with her.

They lay in complete comfort, for a very long time; he was hovering on top of her. They kept holding little conversations, between bouts of kissing and light explorations. He asked her many questions. Questions about what would her dream house be? What kind of stone she would prefer on her wedding ring? Would she like to live in this house permanently or would she like him to build her a new one? Would she like to go hunting every week? What was her favorite cake flavor? She laughed at a few of his silly statements when she countered with one of her questions. Once, she asked him to describe how was he perceived his birthday surprise? He kissed her again, and again, and again. And said, "It is perfect!"

"Katniss, I wanted to kiss every inch of your body the moment I met you... I know... Creepy." He twirled a tendril of her hair. "I just... Thought I would never had the chance to actually do it." He said with a sweet goofy smile. He had been lying on top of her upper legs while playing with her breasts, she found that she liked that, it was nice.

"Mmm... And now that you have kissed every inch of my body, what is the next thing you wish to do?" She asked mischievously.

"Oh... I am not even close to being done kissing your body, honey! I have only kissed... a quarter of it, I have not done your back at all, and I still need to finish the front..." He started kissing her nipples, she giggled.

She laughed when his hands, reached her ribcage and stroked her there, finding her to be ticklish, he did it again. And then he laughed at the way she pawed at him trying to make him stop. "Stop that! You will make me relieve my bladder here, it will be so disgusting! It will really kill the mood... And by golly I plan on not leaving this bed until you take me once more! So... go on and finish your quest, you silly man! It's getting late, and you have rested enough!" She said between spurs of laughter caused by him tickling her sides.

"Is that so?" He stopped abruptly, and looked at her, "You were just using me to lose you maidenhead, then?" He asked in a faux hurt expression. "I should call it a night, and leave you to your own devices Miss Everdeen!" He said and tried to get on his knees,

"No!" She laughed loudly, she wrapped her legs around his thighs, and pulled him down again, he landed right into her warmth... And the shock they both experienced was explosive.

"Fuck..." He gasped. He ground on her, and she moaned closing her eyes tightly. "How the hell are you so fucking wet already?" He grunted in her ear as he dropped his head into the crook of her neck. The sensation impaired her thinking; her answer was a series of panting breaths. "I am sorry Katniss, I was planing on making this experience as long and relaxing and easy, as I could... But... I really do not think I could keep this pace even if my life depended on it..." His nose flared with each breath he took, his eyes were darkening again, she nodded, her eyes wide, what surprised her the most was how ready she was for him already.

He kissed her in the lips, until they were both out of breath; all the while he caressed her body indiscriminately. She sighed softly when he kissed her cheek sweetly. He put two fingers in her waiting sex, and she half moaned and half sighed. He rubbed circles there for a moment, before taking himself and aligning his tip with her entrance, he pushed into her without waiting for approval, her appreciative moans were approval enough.

This time he was less mindful of his pace, but he made it a point of reminding her, that she was supposed to speak up if she disliked anything. This time there was less hesitancy, and more urgency, less shyness, and more confidence. When he entered her, there was still some pinching discomfort, there was a little bit of a dull ache, but it was not much, and soon was gone.

Peeta found his rhythm a lot faster, this time Katniss was quietly moaning into his neck, while he grunted his every thrust. He finally broke the silence, but she thought he really was not actually talking to her, it was more like expressing how he felt at the moment.

"So tight... So warm... So wet... All mine. Mine. Mine. Mine" he said the last word every time his hip snapped against hers. She found herself smiling like an idiot, listening to his ramblings. Her hands fisted into his hair, and she kissed his stubbled jaw. In a burst of boldness, she licked his jaw, then as if she had done this her whole life, she sucked into the flesh of his throat, he moaned, and the sound sent a flush of wetness to her center. He must had felt it, for he shut his eyes tightly and grunted like an caveman, before quickening his pace,

"Fuck, Katniss... I want to be able to do this every minute of every day, until the day I perish... You feel so good, sweetheart... Making love to you is a dream come true!" He kissed and nipped at her lips; instinctively, her legs, that until then had been useless weight, wrapped around his hips. This small shift did wonders to their connection, he was able to go in deeper, and the angle made his pelvic bone collide directly with her clitoris; soon she was thrashing her head on the pillows, crying out his name pathetically, telling him how close she was. He just quickened his pace once more, and she crested before he did, clenching around his thick member, he moaned with her, when his climax was near finally filling her with his warm seed.

Their recovery time seem to also be quicker, as he rolled off of her, pulling her limp body to land softly on his chest. Their breathing became leveled quickly, their heart beats lowered to a normal rate faster. He smiled goofily at nothing in particular, until her stomach rumbled, this made him chuckle lightly, and her cheeks tinged pink.

"I guess I should get up and fetch you some sustenance" he said still smiling, "Might have to go scavenge something in the kitchens" she shook her head vehemently.

"Not necessary, I took the prevision of bringing up some food to snack on before I sent you to bed after the birthday celebration." She said looking anywhere but at him. "I thought we would have need for some leftover finger foods after a while... Mother always says exertion and fatigue can be countered with nourishment..." She was now clearly avoiding his gaze, as she hid her face behind her hair, her embarrassment at her presumptions practically drowning her.

He smiled, and brushed her hair away from her face, pining it behind her ear. "You were right, my darling. That is one of the very many reasons, why you are queen over my heart. You are always one step ahead, and you are wise enough to plan accordingly!" He said in an awed loving tone of voice. At this, she looked up at him and accepted the praise with a grateful shy smile.

"I also had Thresh send up extra burning wood." She whispered timidly, pointing at the pile of logs next to the fire place, that he had just noticed.

He kissed her soundly, "My woman has brains!" He exclaimed, springing up. "I will tend to the fire, if you get our snacks ready!"

They both went to their respective chores; Katniss felt a little exposed being nude, while Peeta seem to be as relaxed and care free in his (literally) own skin as always. She picked up his button up shirt, that lay discarded on the floor. She could have chosen any article of clothing, as both their robes were on the bench by the foot of the bed, or her own discarded sunset orange nightgown, but she chose his shirt. It smelled of him, and she really liked that.

While he restocked the fires, she stuffed thin slices of cheese into leftover dinner rolls from the party, she mixed together a handful of nuts and a handful of dried fruit into a bowl; she was in the process of turning around to face him, while asking him if he preferred wine or water to drink, when she found herself pinned up against the wall behind her. His hands firmly squeezing her rear, he pulled her up, until her legs where tightly wrapped around him, and he took her right there without warning. All the explanation he gave was a series of lewd comments about how he enjoyed her wearing that shirt.

"You are the sexiest creature in all of God's green earth." He said as he pounded into her, making her cry out his name over and over. This was the first time he purposely talked dirty things into her ears, her eyes rolled to the back of her skull, listening to all the crude names he had for her womanly parts, and all the things he was going to do with her and his member, which he also referred to by a list of impolite words that made her blush, feeding his lust. He stilled and growled her name in no time, she could feel his warm release drip down her opening, coating the apex of her legs; she had not reached her release, but she was close. So he put his digits to work, while still pulsing inside of her. He truly enjoyed the feeling of her caverns closing in on him, hugging him in her tightness. He reveled on it, when it finally happened.

He pivoted, carrying her heaving body back to the warmth of their sheets. He lowered her down with great care, kissing her forehead.

"I will have water to drink... How about you, my lady?" He said smirking at her, she just gave him a reproachful glare, and he laughed. "I will get that plate of food and bring it here... I think you should have water... wine will not refresh you at all." With that he went to get their snacks and drinks.

The night progressed in a similar fashion, light conversation, nibbling cheese and sipping water, laughter and giggles. Little games, kisses, caresses, another round of quick sex, more laughter, more kisses, more sips of water, he taught her how to ' _play_ ' with his manhood, and the whole time she was torn between feeling complete embarrassment and awed fascination.

It was after this, he was semi-sitting, his back leaning on a mountain of pillows arranged against the headboard, his feet planted flat on the mattress, his knees bent up together into the air. She was straddling his waist, upper body supported by her forearms, braced against his chest. One of his hands on her lower back, the other one playing with a lock of her hair, he was smiling contently at her, while she animatedly told him about a raccoon she had stalked all last spring. The rodent destroyed the gutters of their small house in the Capitol, the little beast had outsmarted her every step of the way, escaping her many traps, until she decided to just climb up the roof and wait him out.

"So his eyes grew twice their size when he saw the tip of my arrow pointing right at him, I told him he was just making my target bigger..." She said smugly while holding her hands in front of her as if she was aiming at the animal with imaginary bow and arrow, "then he started making all these little chattering noises, then he was screeching at me... I think he was arguing with me, I was so worried he'd be a girl raccoon, which would have been terrible. I would have to hunt down her kits... Luckily she was a he, and although nobody wanted his meat, I got a pretty coin for his pelt!" She ended up happily, then she noticed his caresses on her back had stopped and his twirling of her hair between his fingers had ceased as well, he was wearing a frown.

"Peeta? Is there something the matter? Did I disgust you with my story? I thought you would find it as amusing as I did... I am sorry if I said something..."

"Babe, have you been taking your medicine to avoid conception?" He asked, his frown deepening, "It just dawned on me, we did not used that lambskin at all tonight" he said eyes fixed onto a faraway point, lips pursed.

"I... I have. I have been taking it for weeks now." She whispered bashfully, she looked away from him, when he looked back at her

"And you have been taking it every day, right? You know, it will not be very effective if you miss any doses, right?" He asked earnestly.

"Yes, I know Peeta, I can read! And I did listen to the explanations of both, the Duchess' physician and my Mother. Dame Mason also drilled the information into me over and over before she left, so we are fine." She said a little harsher than she intended. Looking at his searching eyes, understanding his concern was not for him, but for her, she was the one not ready for children. She had the nagging sensation both of them had been warming up to the idea of babies... Kits... Like those of a mother raccoon... She smiled ruefully at him. "I have been taking the pills religiously every day, for the last few weeks. You do not ever have to wear the lambskin if you do not fancy it, although, I think one can never be too careful!" She smiled coyly at him. "But we can see how the thing fares in action... What do you think? Would you want to give it a try?" She said in a silky voice he had never heard before. He nodded eagerly, while she started to get off of him.

He changed his mind about the condom as soon as he saw her in her new position, straddling him, so he held her in place by the waist. 

"Actually... I think we can try it tomorrow night... Right now, I want to feel you directly on my skin." He said in his husky voice she now associated with his arousal. She was not wrong; her backside felt his erection pressed against her, and she was instantly damp. She tried to heave off of him once more, but he kept her there

"Where do you think you are going, my princess?" He asked in his predator voice, the one that made her relent all control.

"Um... To... Position myself for you?" She answered lamely.

"Why, Katniss... You already are!" He smiled broadly at her; she was confused, "Just lift up your body for me a few inches..." He directed her, she obeyed, still not sure of what was happening, he let go of one of her sides to grasp himself so she was aligned with his erection, then he looked up at her confused eyes, "lower yourself, slowly and easy... This time we will go as fast or as slow as you want." Understanding dawned on her features, her eyes turned into those of a frantic scared-doe, but she lowered herself onto him all the same. Her mouth fell open at their contact, he grunted; her mouth kept on opening wider, her breath hitching the more of him she took in. When their hips where flushed with each other, she toppled over, breathing heavily.

"God... I thought that after a few times, it would not feel so... Uhhh... You are just... so... biiiiig..." She mumbled weakly, almost crying, tired, overwhelmed tears into his chest.

He kissed her forehead, rubbed her back soothingly with one hand, while brushing her hair away from her face tenderly. "This will get easier for you with time, I swear." He whispered sweetly against her forehead. "You are everything I have dreamt about, everything I hoped for. You are perfect!" He had said this numerous times all throughout the night. She was starting to believe it, and this gave her a second wind. As weak as she was, she braced her hands on his taut, perfectly defined pectoral muscles, and pushed up to a semi seating position. She acutely felt him inside of her, and experimentally rolled her hips forward, inducing an all-male moan from the back of his throat. She loved the way he sounded, so she did it again. He threw his head back and closed his eyes lost in the feeling momentarily, although he did not linger like that, he wanted to see her take charge, and she moved again, mouth hanging open in surprise at how enjoyable that was for her.

Then out of curiosity, she leaned forward, placing all her weight on her hands, she lifted her rear into the air, he took in a sharp breath, and she slammed herself back down onto him, ripping a loud "Fuck!" groaned from deep inside of him. His hand had balled up around a fistful of her long hair, his free fingers where digging into her hipbone with such force, she would have bruises in the morning. She repeated the movement egged on by his reaction, she did it again and again, and he did not disappoint in his response.

"Fuck, Katniss, you are amazing..." His voice came out strangled and forced. "I am so close to being done, is not even fair... You look gorgeous moving on top of me..." He leaned forward and kissed her in the lips, then left a trail of kisses down her jaw and collarbone, "Your breasts are driving me into madness... You are so beautiful... So perfect..." He started nipping and sucking her breasts, and now it was her turn to moan and gasp at his actions. She pulled his hand from her hair, and brought down where their bodies connected, he got the hint at once, and started working her pleasure point furiously.

"Peetahhhhh!" She convulsed violently on top of him when she reached her orgasm, then collapsed bonelessly on his chest once more. He kissed her desperately, frantically, seeking his own release, he grabbed her hips with both hands and thrusted upwards, he only needed a few thrusts, and he was done as well. He was kissing her all over; the desperation had not ebbed away.

"I adore you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me... You have been splendid tonight... More than splendid... You are perfect! Venus herself does not compare to you" he talked fast and intensely, as if he was afraid he would never have this chance again. He cupped her face, and forced her to look at him. He kissed her deeply, "I want you to know where we stand as of tonight, Katniss... I claimed you, I have taken your innocence, and I have made you my woman... or so does society say... our circumstances cannot be defined by what society sees fit... Because, outside of you... **_There's no life for me at all_**... _**You're my whole life, I would never be happy again if I lose you. No one really needs me.**_.."

" _ **I do**_! _**I need you**_!" She whimpered, this whole conversation was wrong, she would be damaged beyond repair if their relationship dissolved  "So does everyone in this house! And my sister and Mother... Your friends... Even the King needs you for nefarious reasons!" He laughed at her response.

"I know... But, that is not what I meant to convey... What I meant was that I have no real family, no one truly depending on me... Not even you if I am honest with myself... You could leave me tomorrow, and you would be fine, whereas I would become a shadow of myself." He said with a sad smile.

"Peeta, no... Do not say that" she asked him slowly. "That is exactly what happened to Mother, she lost my father, and she became a shell of a person... Please... Do not place that responsibility upon me, I cannot bare it!" Her eyes filled with unshed tears, she understood all too well what he felt for her. The problem was that although she kept trying to deny it to herself, it was the same feeling she held for him. "Peeta, we should not love each other that way, it will be too painful if something goes wrong" she begged.

"Or it can lead to extreme happiness! Not all has to be doom and gloom, sweetheart!" He reasoned. "But I digress... Katniss," he cupped her face with one hand. "You are the only family I have, and contrary to what society will tell you, you are not an object that I possess, you are my partner, I belong to you even more than you belong to me... My... Macho persona, my egotistical side, will feel possessive of you; that will never change. But the reality is, that, I surrender to you... My will, my life, my wealth, my all, I am yours, and I really want you to be aware of that, I want to officially pledge myself to you." He took a stuttering breath, and continued "Have you... Ever heard of the toasting ceremony?" He looked at her expectantly.

She nodded slowly. "Yes...?" It came out more as a question instead of an affirmation, she knew about toastings, ' ** _W_** _ **here on earth is he going with this?**_ ' "Father and Mother had one when they married. They recited their vows to each other every year, to commemorate their wedding day, I always thought they were romantic and sweet... Father explained that it was a District twelve marriage ritual that was not practiced anywhere else." She said with a glazed over gaze. She smiled sadly, looking into his eyes, "He used to say: _**Maybe it’s old-fashioned, but no one really feels married in District Twelve until after the toasting.**_ "

"Your father... was right about that." He said softly, caressing her cheek. Then he gave a brief explanation of it. "I have never toasted with anyone, and... I feel it in my bones, that you are the one I should do it with. You are my only true wife, emotionally, physically... symbolically if you toast with me; and soon, very soon, even legally, when my divorce papers are final." He fidgeted a little, and then asked her point blank "Will you toast with me?" He looked at her hopefully, she was stunned into silence; her face was as stunned as she felt internally. He truly wanted to marry her...

"Right now?" voicing her internal thought.

"Um... Yeah... If it is alright with you... I thought, after the amazing night of passion we have been having, and, um... You even brought bread with you... I know the bread was intended for only nourishing purposes, but... I really am convinced toasting right now, is the right thing to do... Please, Katniss... Toast with me!" He gave her such a sincere gaze that could not hide his true feelings for her... She did not hesitate, she righted herself up, severing their connection as he was still lodge inside her slit, and she stood in front of him, and helped him up.

She had long since lost his button up shirt she had worn while preparing their snack, she was bare in front of him. And as he looked at her, he felt old... She look ethereal in all her gloriously perfect eighteen year old self, standing there with her hair loose cascading wildly down her back, and her tight little body, luscious and taut and, oh so very young. He felt conflicted for a moment, so he sat on the mattress for a few minutes, and reached for her, bringing her body closer to him. He leaned his forehead on her flat stomach, and sighed.

"Katniss... Did... Did I corrupt you tonight?" He asked in a very small voice. "Did I ruin you?" He looked up, catching her grey eyes, she scowled at him.

"Why would you ask that?" She said, not truly angry, "You did not corrupt me. You did not take advantage of me, I laid with you because I wanted to. This had nothing to do with my contract, either. I gave myself to you, because I was ready, because this would have happened anyway, now, later... It does not matter. You did nothing wrong" she held his face with one hand, while the other played with the hairs at the base of his nape. She took a very, very deep breath, and braced herself, "I... Love you, Peeta. That is all there is to this... Now that I have said it out loud... Let us hope no harm comes to us. And... This will probably be the last time I say it... Maybe... For a long time. I cannot promise you I will say it again." She was getting completely flustered. Peeta on the other hand, looked like he had been hit over the head with a heavy skillet. "Come on now... Let us get _symbolically_ married... Before I literally get cold feet" she tried to jest, nervously. ' _That was the reason why she tried not to speak too much... She rambled too much!'._

She looked at him, and released an aggravated grunt. Placing her hands on her hips, tapping her foot, she gave him a dirty glare,

"What are you looking so smug about? Wipe off that self-satisfied grin of your face, right now!" She ordered.

"What... You will not allow your groom to demonstrate his happiness?" He asked positively bright, his grin growing.

"Just..." she shiffed in annoyance. "Do not brag... it is unbecoming." She said crossing her arms over her chest.

He stood up, finally. He pulled her by her upper arms, and kissed her scowl away. "I am saving mine, for the ceremony!" He whispered against her lips merrily. And walked past her, she rolled her eyes at him, but turned on her heels to follow him. He was already sifting through the leftovers of their leftovers. Popping a few raisins into his mouth he chewed on them happily while slicing the last cheese bun in half. It would have to do, as it was the last piece of bread in the tray she had brought up, and he was sure she would not allow him to leave their chamber to fetch more bread.

"Mmm... Normally, we would have long thin metal sticks for this, but... We will have to improvise..." He said thoughtfully to himself.

"Um... Peeta?... Should we... umm... Get covered up? Put our robes on, maybe?" She asked shyly, behind him, he was squatting down examining the poker when he looked up at her.

"Mmm... I thought staying naked would be more... Honest!" He said a little too seriously, she scowled, and went to grab her robe. She tossed him his.

He chuckled to himself, as he study how to skewer the cheese bun halves. He finally stood to slip his arms through his robe sleeves, he figured being that close to open flames with nothing to protect the family jewels was unwise.

"My love, come sit with me." He called her. She complied at once. He noticed she shed her robe in favor of the sunset orange gown. He approved of her choice, and smiled broadly at his bride.

He held out a hand to grasp hers, while she knelt facing him. She veered her eyes to the floor between them, blushing under his intense gaze.

"Katniss, dear... Are you sure you want to do this? According to the customs of my district, and that of your parents, once we toast, we will be married for all intents and purposes" he said still staring at her with blue eyes that burned more intensely than the fire in the hearth. "I know, that we will not be legally married, but... If we do this, **_we_** will be _**more married than any piece of paper or big party could make us**_ "

She lifted her gaze to his, and answered firmly "I want to marry you. I choose to marry you."

He smiled at her, "Then let us not dilly-dally any longer!" His voice was warm and happy.

He held her hand in his, and together they placed the poker holding the buns in the fire. Instead of watching their bread brown, she kept staring at him. She was fascinated by his long eyelashes; they were so blond they were difficult to see unless the light was right. She wondered how they did not tangle together every time he blinked. Then he lifted up his gaze at her, catching her staring at him.

He glanced at her shyly, and smiled sweetly, he was not used to being admired like that. He did not know how to react to that, which was disconcerting all on its own.

The buns were perfectly golden; he pulled them out of the fire place, and sat them on a plate to cool for a minute. He turned to face her. They kept exchanging shy glances and sweet smiles, like a couple of infatuated teens... He realized that description was true for her. He shook his head, and handing her half of the cheese bun and started reciting the old vows, repeated by grooms and brides for generations, maybe even centuries, while feeding her a bite of the toast.

"I offer my bread to you, as a token of my love, my fidelity, and my commitment to you, I vow to always provide nourishment and shelter for you and our family, I vow to protect you and honor you all the days of my life, I vow to share our daily woes and joys, so together we can find balance in our home, from now hence forth." She smiled at him while tears shined in her eyes.

"Do you need help with your vows?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head softly, "No, Mother and Father used to recite them every year... I know them by heart..." She said wiping a tear that had fallen unbidden.

She picked up her toast, and brought it slowly to his mouth, "I offer my bread to you, as a token of my love, my fidelity and my respect towards you, I vow to always be nurturing to you and our family, I vow to support you and honor you all the days of my life, I vow to share our daily woes and joys, so together we can find balance in our home, from now hence forth." He finished chewing his toast as she finished her vows; they sealed their oaths with a sweet chaste kiss.

"Mmm... Katniss... I... I have a gift for you..." He said nervously. He stood up quickly, and went to a painting of a beautiful landscape signed 'P. Mellark' on the wall opposite to them. He moved it, and she was surprised to see a tiny safe hidden behind. He quickly turned the knob to the right combination. He pulled out of the safe a small jewelry box; he knelt in front of her again. "Everything in this box belonged to my mother. I seldom speak of her. She... Was always sad and distant... I never told you this, but I am the third child in my family. My two older brothers did not survived infancy. She had two miscarriages after me, both girls... It made her very sickly, and at the end her body just could not take it anymore... She died when I was about 7... Then Father died from an infection he neglected to care for when I was 9... Really stupid... Um... But... Enough about my sad childhood." He glanced at her, her eyes were soft, but she did not pity him like he had expected, she understood loss and sadness.

"Mmm... I had been saving this for my... Wife..." He opened the box and pulled out a rectangular deep-blue velvet box that he placed on the floor in front of her. She raised her eyes to his, and he gave her a half shy smile. Slowly, she picked up the thin little box, and opened it.

"Peeta... It is beautiful..." She exclaimed, "It is too much!"

"Nonsense! It is what Mellark woman have worn for generations!" He waved her off good naturedly. She looked at him and smiled shyly. "Look..." He said sidling next to her and taking the box from her hands, "It is a locket... It opens in three parts... like so..." He said conversationally while showing her how to open the rectangular gold locket, "I... Been working on this for the past few weeks, they are not ready, so do not laugh at them... But... I guess I can keep perfecting the little things..." He showed her, inside the locket where pictures... Drawings... One of himself, the other two: her mother and sister... They were clearly not finished as they had lines visible where he had corrected the tiny portraits, but she thought they were lovely all the same, the one of prim had the most vivid eyes she'd seen in a sketch, and she was speechless.

The locket was made out of gold, with an ornate M engraved on the front, and little diamond accents incrusted in a wheat grain pattern. It was quite a handsome piece of jewelry, he took the liberty of putting the long delicate gold chain around her neck, it was long enough that the pendant dangled low between her breasts.

"Thank you darling..." She turned around to give him a sweet peck on the lips, "I-I do not know what to say... This is so beautiful and special. It is perfect!"

"No... _You_ are perfect!" He said kissing her temple. "I love you, Katniss!" He said leaning his forehead to hers, she did not pull away, nor did she look scared by his direct declaration of love. She just stared into his eyes, and kissed him hungrily.

"Take me to bed husband?" She asked softly against his lips.

"Your wish is my command, wife!" He stood up and picked her up bridal style, she giggled all the way to the bed. They made love slow and tenderly, just that last time; a rooster sang somewhere in the farm announcing dawn, although it was still very dark out. The lovers... _Symbolic_ husband and wife slept peacefully in each other's arms.

 

======================

 

It had been three and a half weeks since the Duke's birthday. Three weeks in which very little sleep was the norm for Katniss Everdeen, she had been faring within acceptable efficiency in all her duties, but the lack of sleep and rest during the day was wearing on her. She would yawn in the middle of conversations, or dinner, or even during physical activities such as hunting or training her two pets, especially Diana, who was very loud and rambunctious little puppy. She quickly realized having the little dog follow her around everywhere she went was actually enjoyable until she found the judgmental stares of Lady Trinket.

The reality of her current predicament for the need of a full night's rest, came crushing down on her the day she was expecting her Mother and Sister's return from the Capitol. She had gotten up before the sun, to tend to last minute details about their chambers, which they would occupy for a little less than two weeks, while they settled in Baker's Place, then she would be heading to the kitchens to help Peeta with the bread to be consumed that day. And lastly she would tend to her dog and foal until her family arrived around lunch time.

The problem showed when she sat for a few minutes while attempting to stitch back the hem of a curtain panel in Prim's chamber. It had been dark when she set to work on the sewing, next thing she knew, a worried looking Cecilia was shaking her awake. The sun was already shining up in the frigid sky, mockingjays sang happily outside the window, and for the life of her she could not fathom how or when she had fallen asleep in that stiff wooden chair Prim would be using at the desk they had placed there for homework.

"My Lady, we have been looking for you. His Grace sent me up here to make sure you were fine, when you did not come to the Kitchens. He should be done baking by now. I would have found you sooner, but I thought you would had come here first to be done with this chamber before tending to the one prepared for your Mother." She still looked concerned, then sucked in some breath, she asked, "Would my Lady allow me to check her temperature? You look a little... Ill..." She said cautiously.

"I am fine Cecilia... I am just sleepy..." She said yawning as if to prove her statement.

Cecilia, straightened up, and with a hand on her hip, gave her a half a smile. "Rabbit stew... Nothing invigorates tired bodies like rabbit stew! Old Sae makes the best rabbit stew in all of Panem. Has my Lady ever had it? When His Grace hunts for rabbit, he can stay out from dawn to dusk. Usually on those days, the fatigue hits him so hard; he sleeps soundly for very long hours... You should pencil in rabbit stew into this week's menu. It would be a chore to prepare the amount of critters needed to make enough stew for the whole house and our guests, but I can guarantee everyone would sleep full nights." She said as if she was just thinking out loud. Katniss looked at the maid with open interest.

"I am not sure that a full day in the woods would wipe out His Grace's energy, my dear Cecilia... He seems to get... livelier once bed time approaches. Not that I have anything to complain about, normally I enjoy our evenings together, and am a willing participant in everything we do behind closed doors... Is just the past few days I have been feeling the fatigue of our late nights."

"Will my Lady allow me to speak candidly?" Cecilia asked with a furrowed brow.

"Of course! Feel free... You and Leevy are the only ones privy to the true nature of my relationship with the Master, if you think you can help me overcome my tiredness, I am all ears!" Katniss had lost all sense of bashfulness with Cecilia and Leevy at this point. The first few days Cecilia had to change the bedding daily, as she would still find traces of blood in the sheets the next morning, and Leevy had walked into the antechamber of the washroom to collect the dirty laundry one morning, finding a giggling nude Katniss pulling a chuckling half naked Duke into their bathroom, presumably to bathe together. Interactions with Leevy had been terribly awkward for days after that.

Cecilia stifled a chuckle. Katniss just gave her a hard stare. "I apologize my Lady, but if I could be so bold as to point out, everyone in the House assumes you and the Master had been engaging intimately since your arrival to Winter Home... You are, after all, his Grace's concubine..."

"Wha... But... That is not true!" She choked indignantly. "His Grace has been a perfect gentleman the whole time! He has never imposed nor demanded anything because of my legal status as Concubine!" She said flustered.

Cecilia smiled sweetly, "We all know His Grace, is a gentleman, Ma'am, no one doubts that. But we also know how deeply he feels towards you, my lady. Now... I have to warn you, because there might still be room for gossip under this roof. You really need to regain your strength, or people might think Winter Home will finally have an heir. "

"Well, that rumor I can debunk at once! There will be no heir any time soon! We have put precautions in place, I can assure you of that." She finished firmly.

"Oh, my lady..." The maid said softly, "My old Mother used to say, that children come unbidden and on their own time. But I am crossing my fingers on your behalf." Cecilia's comment held some pity, so Katniss changed the direction of their conversation.

"So, what time did you said it was?"

"It was close to 7:45 when I started climbing the stairs."

"Is everyone at the breakfast table already, you reckon?"

"It is possible... In that case I will be taking my leave, I might be needed in the kitchens" the maid made to turn and leave.

"Cecilia?" Katniss asked standing up, "You never told me what you thought I should do?" Cecilia smiled warmly at her.

"Just... Ask. He would give you the stars and the moon if you ever asked for them... This will be no different, my lady." With that, the maid was gone.

 

=====================

 

There was a knock on his study door. He looked up at his small clock; he was incredibly behind schedule. He had been making amendments to a series of important documents, he was to send the Baron to be legally approve and registered before the authorities.

Another knock sounds, before he calls out to "Enter", and in walks Thresh, holding a small yellow envelop.

"A telegram has arrived, my Lord" Said the butler, standing right in front of Peeta. He takes it, and reads it quickly; the telegram has one line, and a signature.

Peeta's face transforms into one of pure delight. "Thresh, is Katniss still in the stables?" He asks grinning.

"As far as I know, she is still there, Sir. Do you require her presence? I can send word to her" He offered.

"Not necessary, I will go to her and share the good news with her personally! The House of Odair has been blessed with a male heir!"

After having Katniss read the telegram for her self, he sees how her face breaks into a gigantic smile. She looks at him and goes to give him a quick hug and a soft peck on the lips.

"What wonderful news, Peeta! I am not sure what the protocol dictates for events such as this, should we send presents or come see them personally? Oh... I have never been to Quattro!" She talked a mile a second, pacing around over the straw strewn ground, her skirts were completely filthy with paw prints, dog slobber and horse hair. As she was walking, Diana kept leaping after her, trying to bite into her skirt. He looked at her fascinated, she was so beautiful, flawless even, in the middle of this place, covered in dirt, he thought to himself ' _Perfect! She is perfect!'_ , he loved her enthusiasm as she spoke about the possibilities of visiting other regions, he knew he would take her anywhere she would want to go. She turned so fast to address him again he expected a whipping of her thick as rope, long, black braid straight to his face, but the collision never happened, he looked at her for a moment.

"Um... Sorry if I am getting ahead of myself, and none of my ideas are appropriate... I mean to say... I know a new born child and a nursing mother should not be disturbed so soon..."

"Katniss, what happened to your hair?" He asked with a deep frown, while reaching out to hold the end if her braid between his thumb and index finger.

"Oh... I did not think you would notice... At least not so soon." She said hoping he would drop the questioning.

"Well, I noticed. What gives? Why does it seem shorter?" He asked sharply.

"Mmm... Well, it is customary for a woman to let her hair grow out until marriage. Then once the maidenhead seal has been broken, the hair is expected to be cut shorter, to symbolize the change... Or at least it is a very old tradition some women still observe... It has been... Almost 4 weeks for us. I thought, this should be a... Um, subtle... way to inform Mother about our, current change in status? Seeing as she is such one of them women observing the hair tradition... She will noticed" She bit her lip nervously and shot him an uncomfortable glance. "It is only 10 inches..." She said quietly as if justifying herself; he gave her a strange look, before saying stiffly.

"I was not aware you were going to lop off your hair for such an end... There could have been a number of other, less intrusive ways to... announce our commitment to each other to your family." He said with a grimace.

"I am sorry; I did not know 10 inches of useless hair was going to cause such big offense against you, my Lord! Next time I do something as drastic as trim my hair ends I will be sure to notify you!" She snapped in a temper.

"Oh... Do not give me that! You cut your hair to inform your mother that you are sleeping with your husband? How is that even her business? Since when do you seek her approval for anything you do?" He spat back angrily.

"It is not for her benefit!" She yelled at last. "It is for Prim's..." They both deflate at her confession, "I am not brave enough to tell her directly, but Mother will notice, and she most likely relay the message to her." Peeta released his breath heavily, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I can not take another one of her angry lashings" she whispered into his shoulder.

"Fine... But... Let it be known, that I do not approve of such barbaric traditions, the chopping off of perfectly useful hair! Preposterous!" He said dramatically, while she blushed furiously, she had learned over the weeks the uses he had for her long tresses in the dead of night, and the mere mention of it made her squeeze her thighs together. "We better get back to the house, time is near for your family's arrival, and... Although I love your current appearance, I think it best you cleaned up to welcome them back!" He said sweetly.

 

=====================

 

"Mother! Prim!" She ran to embrace her family, while he stood watching a few paces behind her.

The reunion was a flurry of hugs, laughter and talk. The girls were trying to condense everything that had happened to them in the last few weeks in as few sentences as they could, they spoke over each other and then burst out laughing some more. Finally Mrs. Everdeen, cleared her throat loudly to call her daughters back to composure. Once reeled in, Katniss, made a little curtsy and formally welcomed her family back to the estate. As she had suspected, her mother zeroed in on her shorter hair almost immediately; her face barely registered a handful of emotions before settling on mild surprise, her eyes briefly landing on the Duke's who only stared back into her own blue eyes not backing down.

Prim lunged herself into his arms, and kissed his cheek, telling him about all the new books she bought for her schooling, asking if it was alright to have her best friend Rory Hawthorne come visit during the summer,

"Wait... Is Rory a boy or a girl?" He asked confused.

She laughed out loud. "He is a boy... A year older than me, he is my best friend, just like Captain Hawthorne is to Katniss!" At the mention of Gale, Peeta tensed up.

"So, this Rory fellow... He is the Captain's brother, I presume?" He said a little tightly.

"Yes, my Lord... But, they are nothing alike!" Katniss rushed to say. "Rory is a nice mannered kid, who is always polite, and loves the opposite things his brother esteems." She assured. "You would like him quite a bit, he reminds me of the Baron in some aspects."

"Mmm... We will see." He said, he wrapped his arm around Katniss’s waist in a possessive stance, although there was no one there other than her Mother's sad gaze.

"So? Um..." Prim started straining to look around, "Where is... Um... Everyone? I mean, Lady Trinket was out here last time, same as Mr. Thresh..." She asked to innocently.

"Thom will join us for supper Little Duck" Katniss responded rolling her eyes. "He has a lot more schooling to catch up on than you do at this point, add he still has to work his regular shifts around the farm, and you get a very busy Mr Thom." She said amusedly.

"Just like I intended him to be!" Added Peeta.

"Good!" Announced Mrs. Everdeen coolly. "The less free time people have in their hands, the less... Trouble they can get into... Now, why don't we go inside and warm up a little? It truly is cold out here" She said rubbing her arms

"Certainly ma'am..." answered Peeta, as jovially as he could. "Please, after you Mrs. Everdeen!" He opened the heavy double doors to the house to allow the women entrance. He did not see the cloud of dirt, forming in the distance. Thresh was just inside the doors, awaiting orders, when the Everdeen women stepped into the warmth of Winter Home.

"See that their luggage get sent to their chambers." He whispered as he passed him by.

"Of course, Sir." Thresh opened the door to head out to the cobblestoned courtyard where the couch was awaiting to be unloaded. "My Lord!" He called back to Peeta who was a few steps deep into the house. "My Lord... There seems to be a horseman riding hard on the main road!" He informed his Master.

Peeta came back to the door hastily, looking in the direction Thresh had pointed. Indeed, a horse and his jokey where rushing to their house, Peeta started to feel anxiety rise in the pit of his stomach; the closer the rider was, the more distinct his military garb became.

"Get in the house. I have not the faintest idea of what this could be." He barked at Katniss, who had curiously followed him when she heard the commotion, she fixed him with an annoyed look, but obeyed nonetheless.

The soldier was a rock throws away from the Grounds gate, Peeta could see it was not just any soldier, it was a Palace Peacekeeper, they served under the Royal Knights, but were not knights themselves. This puzzled Peeta greatly, ' _what would a Palace Peacekeeper be doing so far from his post?'_

"Ahoy man! Who goes there?" Came the sure loud baritone of the Duke, stepping into the courtyard stoned ground.

"Messenger from the Palace, my Lord! Seeking audience with His Grace, the Duke!" The horseman responded loudly.

"Come in then. I am the Duke! What message do you bring me from court?" He asked almost wearily.

"Your presence is required immediately at Court, my Lord. Her Royal Majesty, the Queen... Has expired!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was it? I have never written 'first time' and I'm curious to hear your opinions!
> 
> Adonis: from Greek and Roman mythology, is the god of beauty and desire. His is the archetype for handsome men. He is a life-death-rebirth deity whose nature is tied to the calendar, as a vegetation god, he annually renews never aging. His name is often synonym of extremely attracting young men. In Greek mythology he is closely link to both Aphrodite and Persephone. 
> 
> Venus: is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and desire. Her myth was adapted by that of her Greek counterpart Aphrodite. The mythology states that her son, Aeneas, was father to the roman people. Her symbols are the Rose and Myrtle, which is used for medicinal purposes, as also for its aromatic white flowers. Venus was very popular subject for artist in the European Renascence, because it was socially acceptable to depict her nude, as the goddess of sexuality. By later ages, most nudes were called Venuses even if they were just depictions of mortal women. In some mythology, Cupid is said to be Venus' son, with Mars, the god of war.
> 
> All Catching Fire quotes in bold/italics. Other italics sentences are thoughts, while single words in italics for punctuation only.


	17. Answering the Summons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, nor it's characters and places. 
> 
> As always thank you abk1973 for taking the time to Beta this story! Your contributions and corrections are always welcome! If you my dear readers, haven't yet... you should go find her brand new work 'Love Throughout the Ages' it will be a phenomenal story!

"Just please... Why can you not send word saying you are ill? Or that you can not leave your estate in the middle of inventory for the fiscal year?. They would understand tax talk!" She said in a weepy voice following his hurried heels into his study.

"My dear, it was a Royal Summons, dispatched by the King himself; if I could refuse I would have already done so, and sent that messenger back on his merry way." He stopped abruptly and turned around to face her, "You know better than anyone, that if you refuse the King there will be dire consequences to be faced, and right now Katniss, when I am _so_ close to achieving my divorce, I will be extra compliant with his Majesty, since he is the only person standing in my way to the alter with you... Do you understand that?" He cradled her face into his two big and rough hands, and planted a soft kiss on her lips, before turning around and marching towards his study once more.

"I do not... Wait... What did you mean by ' _I know better than anyone'_? I have never done anything that could be considered rebellious against the King; I have never even met the man personally!" She argued out of breath trying to keep up with his longer, faster strides. He cringed at her question, and suddenly turned to face her again, causing her to collide with his hard warm chest, not that she complained about it.

"I... Meant nothing by it... I just... Um... Figured you must have heard rumors about his... Um... Temper! Living so close, by the Palace and all... Do not mind my ramblings, sweetheart, I am trying to coordinate everything in my head before my departure, and it is quite a mess up here at the moment" he said tapping his temple with the tip of his index finger.

"Yes, but..."

"PEETA! Peeta... Wait... What the hell? You cannot just order Thom away now! I just arrived!" A very aggravated Primrose ran after the two, pointing a menacing finger in the Duke's direction.

"I am sorry Primrose, but I need him... and he will be back home soon. Now..."

"Oh no, do not give me that! You should not even entertain the idea of this stupid trip! You know better than I do, that nothing good will come out of this summons! The Queen is not blood relative of yours! Her passing will not affect you or your standing... Why do you have to go?" She asked defiantly, Katniss turned to look at him expectantly as if she was completely supporting Prim's intrusion.

"She is still my aunt! I am still part of the Royal House of Snow, as much as it irks me to admit it! It is my duty to be there... And... To be there with Cashmere at my side..." His voice trailed off at that, Katniss went into angry-panicky mode.

"What? Why?" She asked perplexed, as if the notion of him being with Cashmere in an official function was the most alien concept she had ever heard. "Why would you be with that...?"

"Witch, everyone calls her 'Mrs Mellark the Witch'" said Prim with as much disdained as she could mustered. Peeta grimaced.

"God! They gave her another nickname? And it includes my name?" He growled in frustration "Why _Mrs Mellark_? Why can she not be... Just plainly the Bitch?" He said turning around heading to his study again.

"Witch! Not Bitch" she corrected him, "Not that I disagree with either name, but, you have to get it right! And as for the name, it is her own doing... People have heard... Rumors... About you and your... Mmm... Lovely mistress..." She said uncomfortably glancing nervously at her sister, Peeta winced once more.

"Shit..." He muttered under his breath, shoving his hand into his jacket pocket to retrieve his study's key.

"What? Peeta does not have a mistress! He has me, a Concubine, with as many legal rights as a wife in some cases!" Katniss said indignantly.

"Yeah, well... Everyone knows it back in the Capitol. The stories are not completely off target, they pretty much all say that the Duke is very taken with his companion, and that she manages his affairs better than any accountant... That he is waiting for the King to give his consent to a marriage dissolution with the Duchess, and he will have a new bride by summer!" Katniss gasped, and stood rooted to the floor for a moment before Prim slightly pushed her forward.

"Shiiiiiit..." He repeats under his breath, pulling his hair backwards roughly. "I do not need this shit right now" he said shaking his head.

"So, as I was saying," Prim said ignoring his comment, as she sauntered around her sister, "the Witch, has started calling herself 'Mrs Mellark' everywhere she goes... It is quite desperate if you ask me. Is like she is trying hard to assert her family ties... every person you ask about it, will tell you the same. She apparently has been a nightmare to work with in the past two weeks. And her... Um... _Friend_ has not been seen in days, which keeps people speculating"

"Which friend?" Katniss asked curiously, while Peeta pushes the door open and shuffled inside, followed by the two ladies.

"She has a... Tenant." He finished curtly. Both girls knew better than to follow the line of questioning after his answer. "I do not care what Cashmere does, my mind is set, I will be free from her, and as the populace in the Capitol has deduced, I will immediately wed my beloved Katniss." He did not take his eyes away from his stationary and pen as he started scribbling list after list of who knew what. Katniss almost choked.

"How soon, my Lord?" she gasped out.

"Not soon enough!" He replied still concentrating on his work. Prim rolled her eyes, she thought they were both being unnecessarily idiotic, he was about to leave in a few hours, and he was taking Thom away with him, she knew if Thom was there, she would not be losing time on stupid little details that will matter not at the end of the day.

After receiving the summons from the King, and being informed that he was to be escorted immediately back to the Capitol by the messenger Peacekeeper; A youth of about twenty years of age, with a shock of messy red hair, that smiled a lot after he was offered water and food, and introduced himself as Darius, Peeta had started to bark out orders to all his employees within ear shot, some maids were dispatched to pack his traveling trunk, while some others were sent to the kitchens to prepare rations for the journey as well as a decent meal for Darius. Farm hands were called in to ready his horse and some others to go fetch Thom, wherever he was at, for he needed him to accompany him to the Capitol as well, to which Prim immediately protested.

"Peeta... What does the King want with you? I think he killed the woman himself! And you do not need to be from the Capitol to know the rumors! I do not want you to get poisoned as well! Only God knows what benefit he is seeking from your presence there..." Katniss was pacing the small space between his desk and the chairs in front of it, she finally took a stuttering breath "I forbid you to die at his hands Peter Mellark!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. He looked up and found her terrified stormy eyes "Please... Stay home..." Katniss begged softly, but a frantic looking Lady Trinket entered the study abruptly interrupting them.

"Your Grace, are the news I have heard from the maids correct? Has the Queen passed on? Have you been summoned to Court?" She looked a little out of breath and frazzled, very unlike herself; it made Katniss frown with concern. Effie's reaction was not helping Katniss' nerves and Peeta knew it.

"You have heard right, My Lady. Please, rest assured I am in the middle of leaving instructions for the household. Nothing will go amiss; I trust you and Lady Katniss will be able to manage. I am sending word to the Earl, so he will visit as often as possible. I am leaving Thresh in charge until Thom's return in a week or so; I will have him follow me to the Capitol in the motorized carriage, and then bring back my mount... I will be back as soon as they allow me to return. Does that sound agreeable to you Miss Everdeen?" He gave the young lady a pointed look, and she readily nodded.

"How long does, my Lord, plan to be away from Winter Home?" inquired Effie who was seemingly just a tad more at ease.

"I am not quite sure how long the Funerals are to last, nor what other functions the King wishes me to attend. All I know is that being next to the Duchess will be a more miserable task than ever before. Keep your fingers crossed I do not end up brain washed while I am at the King's place." He said the last part under his breath. "Now, if you would be so accommodating ladies, I need some time to get things in order before my departure in three hours. If I were you, I would go seek Mr. Homes, Miss Everdeen, I am sure he would have arrived by now... Lady Trinket can serve as chaperone if she has no objection?" He was clearly dismissing the women, and they graciously curtsied and headed for the door. "Lady Katniss, there is something I need you to stay behind for, if you do not mind" He said while scribbling something on a pad of paper.

"As you wish my Lord" she responded softly, returning to her spot, once the door had clicked closed behind Lady Trinket.

 

"Lock the door and come to my side" He ordered quietly.

 

She obeyed without question. She figured he would show her something in his desk she needed to mind; after all, the farm books and official seal and stationary where under lock and key in this desk, and he also kept his coin inside a safe hidden somewhere in the room.

Once standing next to him, he dropped his pen and pad aside, and without warning, pulled her to sit on the desk in front of him. She gasped at the sudden move, but complied without question, because before she could form any thoughts in her mind, he was kissing her mouth hard. He was sucking and nipping at her lips, his hands battling the buttons of her gown, until he desisted, in favor of just palming and playing with her breasts over her clothing. She moaned into his mouth long and pitiful.

He tangled one hand at the base of her tight braided hair, dislodging it from its place at her nape, her own hands where balled into fists around his suit jacket, she was probably wrinkling his clothing, but they paid no attention to that. He started licking and biting his way down the column of her neck, until he reached her shoulder, he went to her ear, and whispered into it, "Gather your skirts up as high as they will go, then place your feet on each of the arm rests of my chair"

"W-with what purpose... My Lord?" She panted shallowly into his ear.

"I am going to remove your underthings, I am going to rub them against your privates, I want your smell to permeate the soft fabric,  because it will bring me pleasure while I am away from your warmth. After that... I am going to push my cock deep inside of you, and I am going to take you, hard and slow" while he was talking she had done as he had asked, panting with anticipation she had pulled her skirts up to bunch around her navel, while he made quick work of the cords keeping her under shorts in place, and, as he had said he would, he covered his hand with her underwear, and then rubbed it against her pubic hair. Her first moans of pleasure, were soon replaced by uncomfortable ones, once he had wiped off all the moisture she had released and the movements started to pull her skin in unpleasant ways. She informed him of her discomfort, and he immediately ceased, but lowered his mouth to her aching center, to soothe her with his tongue instead.

It was the first time they had done anything of a sexual nature outside of their quarters, or in the middle of the day. He took his time to watch her womanly parts by the light of the sun; she had spread her legs as wide as she could for him, while he sat at the edge of his heavy chair, to study her better. He used both hands on her, one sliding his fingers up and down her length ever so slowly, the other parting her folds, he did not ever remembered taking so much time and pleasure to actually just watch a woman in this way. She was weak from all the sensations he was eliciting in her body, she lowered herself down onto the smooth surface of his desk, but the desk ended leaving a considerable amount of her torso without support, so she rested her upper body weight on her elbows and forearms, while still clutching her skirts tightly into her fists. She had an open view of him between her thighs in this position, and she was surprise at how much she like watching him playing with her like this, she loved his facial expressions: fascination and greed, while his bright blue eyes hungrily studied her most intimate parts.

"You are extraordinary Katniss... Look how beautiful you are" he said inserting two fingers into her, and curling and straightening them in quick succession, she gasped and her hips moved up and down in tandem with his fingers. "You are dripping wet again, baby... I love how you can reach readiness for me so fast, and by me just looking at you... I will miss your deliciously tight Venus's hall..." He sunk his mouth onto her, her toes curled, and she let go of her skirt to grabbed onto his golden hair. He sucked hard on her clitoris while pumping his fingers in and out of her. She threw her head back and cried out his name not a minute later, she was writhing on the desk out of control. He stood up quickly, and dropped his trousers to his thighs as fast as he could, and sheathed himself deep into her. She had lost her hold on his hair, but was desperately grasping for him, to get a hold of some part of him, he entwined his fingers with hers and pulled her up to a sitting position so he could embrace and kiss her while thrusting into her. She sighed in relief against his lips.

"I am going to miss you, Peetaaah..." She whispered into their kiss, between gasps and moans; he was being true to his word, his thrusts were hard and measured, and her words were sweet and soft, she caressed his face slowly while kissing him languidly. "I will miss you in bed every night, and at our table during every meal, I will miss your embrace and your lips... I will miss your sweet smile and lovely eyes... Please, darling... Do not delay, come home to me swiftly. You are all I want." She was kissing his stubbled jaw, and thick neck. He hissed when her hand went down his chest and wrapped around the little bit of his shaft not buried inside her warmth. This was a brand new position for them, and she seemed to be enjoying it. He knew out of instinct, she was going to let go of him soon to touch herself, as he had asked her to do many times before. He enjoyed watching her doing this while his member moved in and out of her, he tried to looked down, but the ample fabric of her clothing obstructed his view, he growled his disappointment, and bit her lips instead. He was so close.

"When I spill my seed..." He panted in her ear, "Do not clean it up until it is your time to bathe... I want you to feel my desire leaking out of you for a while..." he thrusted hard into her and she gasped, the force of his thrust made her brace against the desk with her free hand, "And the day of my return... I want you naked under your gown... You are only to wear stockings!" He said into her neck, while crushing her lithe upper body to his chest, pumping faster and erratically into her. "I am going to need you ready, for I will take you hard and fast when the first opportunity presents itself that day!"

"As you wish... Sir..." She gasped, and he stilled stiffly with a growl of her name, ejaculating in spams until his last drop was spilled, her fingers where still working her own orgasm, he brought his fingers down and took over, and she shattered moments later with him still lodged inside her folds.

He calmly kissed her for a long time. He told her he would miss her, he told her he would do anything in his power to come back to her in a few days. But he was not sure about that. She sniffed into his shoulder for a long moment, asking pitifully.

"Take me with you" he righted his clothing and sat on his chair, then pulled her down to curl on his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he caressed her lovingly.

"Babe, I would take you with me if I knew what to expect. But, I do not even know if I would get to see you much while we are there... Plus, I really do not want Cashmere anywhere near you when I cannot be there, and I am sure she would try to contact you if you were to set foot in the Capitol."

"Are you going to have to spend much time with her?" Her question was meek and cautious and carried an edge of jealousy.

"I suppose I will have to attend the funerals with her, outside of that, I do not see the need to fraternize with her at all. I might call on her, and propose a treaty of some sort, a pre-divorce arrangement... she must know that I am planning on divorcing her, so she might have conditions or a bargain to make... I will probably have to part with a house or two and a hefty sum of coin as well... It would all be worth it!" He said breathing into her hair deeply, tightening his hold on her, "If I can make you my wife before God and the rest of Panem, everything would be worth it!" He kissed her temple sweetly, and she sighed closing her eyes.

"I would like that very much, sweetheart... We will never have to part like right now... And I would never have to share you with anyone ever again" She said softly against his shoulder. He smiled, and agreed kissing the crown of her head, he kept talking, but soon realized she was fast asleep in his arms wearing a soft smile on her sweet lips, and dared not wake her, he was aware of her tiredness and fatigue. He could not bear to set her sleeping form on the couch, so he just, angled his body to the side, so his right arm was free and could grasp the pen and paper, and continue to write his lists of orders for the different people under him, including Effie, Thresh, Cecilia, Dalton and Katniss herself. He would personally talk to Thom later. He wrote letters to Haymitch and Finnick, and decided to leave the sealing and mailing for Katniss to do, as it was past the time to send the letters to the Post Office. Seeing as he was done for the moment in his study, he hoisted her up carefully, and carried her bridal style up to their chamber.

He encounter Mrs. Everdeen at the very top of the stairs, as soon as the woman saw her daughter's body limp on his arms she grew alarmed, but he managed to put a finger to his lips to silence her, "Just fell asleep" he whispered, and then motioned with his head for her to follow him quietly. He placed Katniss softly on the bed, and the two of them arranged her on the pillows, taking her shoes off, and pulled a small blanket over her, then he beckoned the older Everdeen to follow him out of the room.

He talked in a whisper, "I am glad that you and Miss Primrose have arrived precisely when I am being forced to leave, My Lady will not have to stay alone in this big house. I know that you do not need my asking, but would you please watch over her, she has taken the news of my imminent departure harder than I thought she would, she had been feeling out of sorts in the past few days, and I am worried she might spiral into melancholy if left alone." He said hurriedly. Mrs. Everdeen's expression was unreadable at best, but she nodded.

"My Lord... If I may be so bold as to ask... Has my daughter been consistent with the consumption of her contraceptives?" He felt anger roil in his stomach, ' _was that all that worried her?'_ He looked at the woman with calmed eyes; he was not going to show his discomfort.

"She has, every day, before breakfast without fail. Anything else you would like me to inform you about, ma'am?" He tried his best to sound unbothered.

"Did... Did she... Was she...?" For the first time her blank mask cracked, just as her trembling voice spoke "She is yours now, my Lord, but I am still her Mother... I worry about her well being... Was she happy... After?" Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and Peeta's determination faltered.

"She was not forced, nor did I pressured her into anything. When she decided she was ready... she did not hurt, nor she regretted it, I truly believe she is happy. I love her! I love her even more deeply now than before; and if it is any relief to you, I asked her to toast with me, to which she agreed, we made vows that day." the last few words he said stiffly. "I was supposed to be attend a meeting with my attorney this week, over my divorce, but Lady Odair has given birth to a son, during the dark hours of the evening yesterday, and with my aunt's sudden passing, we will postpone it for a later date... But, my honest hope is to wed your daughter before a Judge of the Peace, and if possible even a priest, by late summer."

Mrs. Everdeen had perked up at the news from the Baroness, but then sobered up when she heard about his marriage plans. It was not that she opposed, she knew now that, Katniss had chosen him, and while away at her own house, she had had time to think about the man, as a person and not as a imposition of fate. And she had admitted to herself and then to her longtime friend Mrs. Hawthorne, that the Duke, was indeed an honorable man, and he adored her Katniss, perhaps as much as her late husband had adored her in her youth. She still wished they had saved themselves for their wedding night, and waited to have a proper toasting with family and friends present, to be sang the toasting song as they fed each other bread. _This_ , was not the way she had pictured her daughter's nuptials to occur.

"I will be praying every day for your safe return to my daughter's side, as well for the sticky endeavor that will be to divorce Cashmere DeLoach... I still think she will be cause for worries down the road, my Lord. Please be wise and very careful. If she inherited anything from her sleaze of a father, it is the deviousness and conniving ways in which she operates. She is not to be trusted!" She said and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Something he had not expected from her at all, he nodded gratefully.

"How long before your departure?" She asked looking at the closed door behind him.

"Two more hours, but everything is in place. I just need to address a few people and I will be ready." He said with a sigh.

"Then, I suggest, you go on and wake her. She will be furious if she slept all through the final minutes you have left before your long journey."

 

==========================

 

He laid next to her sleeping form, and sighed in regret, he wished he could just stay and sleep with her right now, but he knew he was wasting time. So he placed his heavy, warm hand on the crown of her head, and sledded it down her face, reaching her delicate neck, where he left it to rest. His thumb extended to caress as much skin as possible, before kissing her lips softly, she sighed sleepily, but returned the kiss lazily.

"Are you staying?" She whispered hopefully when they separated, her eyes still closed.

"No, I only have a little over an hour before my departure. I just wanted to have a few minutes of quiet with my sweet wife" he said equally quiet respecting the intimacy of the moment. He wrapped his arms around her body when she shifted closer to him.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked yawning widely.

"Maybe an hour, I brought you here after I finished my business in the study, and then I decided it would be beneficial for me to take a little power nap next to you, seeing as I have a long road ahead of me, if I want to make it to the Capitol before deep darkness." His hand was combing through the loose locks of her hair that had fallen out of her now ruined braid. She released a defeated breath.

"Mmm... Would you... bathe with me real quick before we have to leave the warmth of our bed?" She asked playing with the buttons of his shirt, he had dressed formally to greet her family, and she was sure he would wear similar clothes while in the Capitol, instead of his worn working clothes he usually donned on regular days, the ones she liked most on him.

Kissing her temple, he agreed. So she got up slowly. He had already shed his jacket and ascot, as well as his shoes. She asked him to help her unbuttoned her dress, which he gladly did, then she slowly pulled on the front cords of her corset, until she was left in just her soft chemise.

"Your beauty is more breathtaking each passing day." He said breathily, while smoothing her hair behind her ear, she blushed slightly, but smiled coyly at him, and pulled her chemise over her head.

"Do you like what you see, husband?" Her voice was husky and inviting, he nodded silently, the beginnings of a smirk forming in his face, "Would you like to take a small taste?" She asked as she stretched on the bed sensually displaying her completely nude form to him, while caressing her chest provocatively.

"Yes! Always!" His wolfish grin overtaking his handsome face, before he captured her lips with his.

 

==========================

 

The trip to the Capitol had been draining and a little stressful, not to mentioned his rear was in a lot of pain after riding almost none stop from Merch all the way to the Capitol, only taking a couple of bathroom breaks, that served to watered and feed their mounts. As luggage, He only had a bag big enough to hold some provisions for the road, and some basic necessities, plus a change of clothes. The rest of his things were being brought in the car by Thom the next morning.

Peeta was confident that he had left all his affairs in order back home, he sent word to the Earl to keep an eye out for Winter Home in his absence as well as Katniss. He sent word to the Baron, with congratulations on the arrival of his first son, and attached a very important document to be signed and sealed by him as his attorney. The document named Katniss as rightful Mistress of Winter Home in case of any unexpected incident, as well as a hefty sum of coin to be divided between her, Thom, Prim and Effie, in that order and by different percentages. He felt confident, that were something to happen to him, everyone would be taken care of, including his employees. He had called on his staff to give his final orders before taking his leave, after his invigorating bath with Katniss, where he had taken her one more time before the water had gone cold.

As he approached his destination, all he could think about, was how he had unraveled her braid, and washed her hair meticulously with his own hands, then brushed it out, and begged into her ear "Let it grow" to which she giggled and nodded her assent. Then, he kissed her breathless in front of the whole house before he mounted his horse and left the grounds of his house. He smiled like an idiot at the thought of her shining grey eyes while she slowly rode his arousal in the tub. ' _God! He was going to miss her supple body tonight_ '. He felt his manhood trying to stir aroused, but his current position was not conducive to such body reactions, it was ridiculous how much he wanted her, he felt like he was a hormonal adolescent, he smiled at the thought... until a voice he disliked pulled him rudely to the present.

"Your Grace! Welcome back to the Capitol." The prickly voice of Sir Gloss DeLoache ripped through the still air, causing Peeta to frown. For the first time, he felt the cold stale wind of the Capitol, slapping his face viciously. "I am here to relieve your escort, and accompany you to the Palace" His brother-in-law said unenthusiastically, then motioned to dismiss Darius, who had been a better-than-expected travel companion during the long journey. The young Peacekeeper bowed his head and retreated through the ice covered cobblestoned streets.

"Sir Gloss..." said Peeta finally greeting his new escort. "May I ask why am I being shuttled to the Palace, instead of allowing me to reach my own house and gather myself together before I pay my respects to the Royal family?" He said while trying to hide his frustration behind exhaustion.

"His Majesty has requested to see you as soon as you set foot in the Capitol, he only wishes to make sure you had arrived safely, my Lord" Gloss replied in a monotone.

"Well, I could have sent a messenger if that was it. But I guess a few more minutes should make little difference to an already battered body." He said grumpily, he could now see in the distance, the rough iron gates of his house, just two more blocks, and he would have been inside his small hideout in the capitol. This was the smallest of his houses, it was fully staffed all year 'round, and it was the biggest coin sinkhole in all his "assets". He could not in all honesty call Victor's Village an asset, but a necessary piece of very expensive to maintain real-estate. Nevertheless, he turned his gaze in its direction longingly, before pressing his heel into the side of his horse, prompting it to hasten his pace.

As soon as they rushed through the Courtyard gates and stopped in front of a couple of stable boys who scrambled to take hold of the animals, another face he truly disliked appeared before him.

"Your Grace, Welcome to Capitol Palace. I hope you had an uneventful journey. Please, follow me..."

"Captain, sir, with all due respect, I was the one charged with..."

"Sir DeLoche, if I remember correctly you nearly broke your neck volunteering for this job, and now I am relieving you of the duty... _that_ is an order! Now report to your quarters before the night is out!" Captain Hawthorne barked at the other Knight. Gloss just looked at the younger man resentfully, but did not argue.

"As I was saying, my Lord, follow me to the Banquet Hall. His Majesty was not aware you had been summoned tonight." Gale said bitterly.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Peeta asked confusedly. "Why was I dragged here so unceremoniously, before I had even reached my own abode?" Now he was starting to feel anger rise.

"The King, is already asleep; But the Prince... Well, let us say, I do not trust Sir DeLoche's ability to offer any kind of protection to your person, were the need rise, and I am not willingly going to allow any harm come to your person while you stay among us." Gale said stiffly, eyes staring ahead, fixed on the path he was walking.

"And why is that your concern, Sir Hawthorne?" Peeta asked equally stiffly.

"My concern is for her. If harm comes to you, she would be devastated. The Prince is to not be trusted at the moment... Ever since Lady Crane's secret was discovered and the Queen's passing, his Highness has turned... Unpredictable..." Gale said grimly.

"Lady Crane?" Peeta asked thoroughly confused, he had not the foggiest idea who Lady Crane was. Gale suspected this by the questioning look the Duke had all over his face.

"Well, I guess it would be my duty, to warn and inform you of the dirty happenings of the Palace, then." Gale said stopping in the middle of the stone steps into the castle. He looked around, satisfied to find they were completely alone, his jaw clenched uncomfortably, and he dove into whispered explanations.

"Lady Glimmer Crane, only daughter of Lord Seneca Crane. She is... The Duchess of Merch's... Um..."

"Companion" Peeta proposed flatly, Gale swallowed and nodded.

"She is also the King's after diner companion. It was revealed three days ago, that Lady Crane is with child. There is no doubt where the child came from, although Lady Crane is currently engaged to be wed to a Lord Marvel." Gale saw how Peeta's placid blue eyes had slowly turned icy and hard, his brows furrowing together in disgust.

"So, the Queen's death... Will benefit the crown with a potential new heir" The Duke said through clenched teeth.

"And the Prince has reacted strangely to the news, my Lord. He was heard by some of my most reliable Peacekeepers, casting drunken threats to any other heir in line to the throne that might want to usurp his place as future King of Panem. That is why I have to escort you to this meeting... for all we know, your life might be in danger just as much as Lady Crane's is at the moment." He finished with a heavy sigh.

"Do you believe Prince Cato would act upon his threats?" Peeta asked seriously looking at the taller, younger man in the eyes. He found it disturbing how similar they were in shade to Katniss' eyes.

"They might be empty threats, they might be not. I take them seriously until proven otherwise." He responded shortly. "Now, if my Lord would so kindly follow me once more, I am sure we will all be thankful to call this long day over!"

 

===========================

 

Prince Cato was gorging on a whole roasted quail, he had forgone cutlery and was holding the small bird in one hand, while another was cupping handfuls of the breaded stuffing inside the humongous turkey in front of him. Peeta immediately lost the appetite that had been burning his stomach mere minutes earlier.

"His Grace, Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch, Lord of Victor's Village, Baker's Place and Tolv Hall. Here to dine with His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Cato." said the booming voice of the herald in charge of announcing visitors. Cato finally looked up grinning like a small child to find Peeta's confused stare.

"Cousin!" The Prince jumped out of his chair, and rushed to embrace the Duke as if he could not contain his happiness at seeing his beloved cousin. Peeta patted his back awkwardly, giving Gale a quizzical glance.

"Your... Highness! I am truly sorry for the circumstances in which we meet after such long time." He said with as much steadiness as he could muster.

"Yes, well! Mother had been ill for a very long time; it is good Father has finally allowed her to rest!" There was a collective intake of breath at the Prince’s crazed statement and all it implied. The man was jittery and a little out of himself. "You see, it was necessary for her to rest, but he would not allow her too until I had found a proper wife! Except, none of the candidates I brought forth were acceptable enough, so I threatened to buy Cashmere from you! Mother was beside herself! It was the best day of my life! I had always wanted a song bird all for myself, but she disagreed, she said I should had beaten you to secured a Mockinjay's hand in marriage, instead of dilly-dalling as I did... Like and idiot, I waited too long, but not matter! As it is, I would still buy her freedom out of your marriage...  but she had to go and be a whore and sleep around with however many men and women came her way. I would never be able to wed her... She could never become queen with _that_ past! But, she would make an excellent mistress!" He laughed derrangely, "You know? I envy you Pete! You get to have a Concubine to fuck day and night, and no one sees it as wrong, but if you were a real Royal, you would be stuck with whatever piece of ass you got as wife, unless you cheat... And to cheat, your wife has to be at death's gates... By the way... How is the Girl on Fire? She was not much too look at the few times a saw her... she was dangerous with a weapon! although not very big or very pretty, but I have heard that she has filled out nicely, that she has become a desirable woman, plump lips, full bossom, and perfect ass. Is all that true? Either way, I bet you have great fun with your new fuck doll"

Peeta's face burned with rage, he had taken a minuscule step forward, fists clenching and unclenching, jaw locked in place while his teeth ground painfully together. By some miracle, he felt a hand forcibly stop his fist from connecting with the distracted Prince's face. He turned around with a jerk to see who had dared stop him from delivering a well-deserved punishment to that prick Cato, he was surprised to see an angry Captain Hawthorne staring back into his eyes.

"I cannot protect you, if you commit treason, my Lord!" He forced lowly through gritted teeth.

"What am I supposed to do? Allow him to disrespect the woman I love?" He seethed in an angry whisper, yanking his arm out of the knight's grasp.

"Yes! He is drunk and a little out if his mind! Just humor him and then take your leave... It really is not worth her pain and suffering if you do something brash and get yourself hanged!"

Peeta breathed, setting his jaw squarely, he turned to see his cousin drinking gleefully out of a golden goblet. The Prince seemed to have forgotten all about his cousin, but as soon as he saw Peeta’s blue eyes, same shade of blue as the King's but so unlike his at the same time, Peeta had his Mother's eyes, Cato vaguely rememberer his aunt, but he clearly remembered the reason he brought his cousin here.

"Peter! I am not sure if you were informed about Father's little... Um... Indiscretion..." He chuckled drunkenly. "Well, you see he is trying to wed his latest mistress... A pretty, but insipid tail, called Glimmer Crane... I will never get Father... He gave Glimmer to Cashmere to watch, he might as well had given her to Cashmere as a little present! Cashmere ravaged the little cunt, so well Glimmer prefers _her_ to Father... He does not think that women can fall for other women; he thinks they are incapable, because their only job in life is to please men. I know differently! He will not let other men close to Glimmer, under death penalty... But, he allowed her to move right into Cashmere's depraved domain... The idea was that Glimmer was to learn everything she could from her... Host, but the little idiot did not learn much from Cashmere though, as she had managed to conceive shortly after Father had started fucking her!" He laughed again spilling wine all over his clothes. "Now, she will be Queen in Mother's stead, and the little bastard in her belly will be my downfall!"

"My Lord, you do not know that. For all you know, this child will be a female and quickly cast aside as many females are in such cases. Plus, you are still the legitimate first born child of the King. No one can rob you of that." Peeta tried to reason with the Prince.

"Yes, well... I still need a wife that will please Father and the Court. Lately all, anyone can talk about is Lady Winter Home... And my advisors said that she or someone similar would be ideal for my bride... Father has already said that he will not agree for me to wed a woman that belonged to you first..." He took a long gulp of his wine, before delivering his last punch "but, I have heard that Lady Winter Home has an equally beautiful sister and that you dear Pete, are her acting Benefactor..." Peeta's blood froze, and quickly boiled with renewed rage.

"What does His Highness, mean to say?" Peeta forced out once again clenching his fists.

"Oh, come now Pete, my beloved, most favorite cousin!" He slurred with an impish grin "I need a wife! You have a maid that has potential to be very popular with our subjects... It is not hard math to make... How much do you want for the girl, and do not be shy, I will take Cashmere off of your hands as well, so you can go on your merry way back to your new 'honey pot' you are so taken with... Oh... do not look so surprised, cousin! All everyone talks about is how she has you crushed under her dainty little feet. She must be some amazing sex goddess to make you prefer her over Cashmere. I guess with a name like the Girl on Fire, being an amazing fuck is to be expected." The Prince rises his goblet in toast before draining it completely. This time it was Peeta holding Gale back before he did something he could not be saved from.

"First of all dear Cousin," he forced out as evenly as humanly possible, after shoving Gale behind him. "My Ward is only just celebrated her fifteenth birth day, and we have discussed her entering a nunnery" he lied blatantly, but he knew a nunnery was maybe the only thing that would save Prim right about now from a miserable life of being Cato's wife, and even though Cato was offering Peeta an escape route out of his marriage to Cashmere, he would never trade Prim's freedom for his own, not even for Katniss. "I doubt, she would be an appropriate candidate, considering her young age and spiritual inclinations. As for me and my Concubine, most rumors are not extremely far from the truth, but they are just that... Rumors! I do greatly care for Lady Winter Home, and as long as she is mine legally, I will treat her like a woman by my side deserves. I will humbly ask of you, my most gracious cousin, to please refer to her as Miss Everdeen if it is not too much trouble. Same goes for the Duchess. Let us not forget, they are still ladies" He tried to sound nice and submissive, but he had the nagging sensation he was failing miserably at it.

"Oh... Yeah... Yes... Of course! Where are my manners? My apologies, cousin... I will not be crude. But you should sit and eat and share about your Concubine's bed skills! I would love to hear your stories about her!" He grinned evilly.

"My dearest Prince, I have learned, that the pleasure that comes from bedding any woman, directly correlates to how much you respect and truly care for said woman outside the chamber. Women are not just objects created for the sole purpose of pleasing men, they are supposed to be an intricate support system in which both man and woman share their loads and skills to better each other. That is what Miss Everdeen is to me, my partner and helper, and not solely a pretty face; neither is she or will she ever be just a hole in my mattress. She is more than just a Concubine." He said honestly. Gale's scowl twitched uncomfortably, he did not deny or confirm he had bedded Katniss; but Gale gleamed the true feelings that the Duke held for his ex-best friend, and he felt a heavy weight he did not know he had been carrying around lift off of his shoulders.

Cato did not seem very impressed by his cousin's words, but he made no comment other than to offer a seat at his table. Peeta pondered whether he should accept or decline the invitation, he was sure there would be next to nothing to eat back at his own house, but the way Cato was attacking his food was unappetizing. He decided to only sit for a drink, as to not offend the Prince, he figured that he had already refused giving him Prim, and he did not need to anger him any further. He was sure Cato would bring the matter of wanting Prim as his bride up again, and he hoped he could keep him pacified enough until then.

Mercifully, the Prince started to yawn and stretch in his fullness and drunkenness. So Peeta stood up and bowed, wishing the Prince a good night, before heading towards the exit. He was relieved to feel the freezing air hit his face, and then his lungs when he inhaled deeply. He could hear the faint clanking of a sword sheath against swishing capes, and other such weapons, announcing that he was being followed by Captain Hawthorne. It was eerie how his tread was as quiet as Katniss', it was completely disturbing how much alike the ex-best friends were, even physically. They looked more like kin than Katniss and Prim did at first glance, although up close the resemblance between the sisters was uncanny. Still, the similarities between his beloved Katniss and this knight were so deep, he wondered if they were not distant cousins or something of the sort... This would be a task for the Baron and the Earl, since they seemed to be adept investigators when they were so inclined to be.

"My Lord" Captain Hawthorne called after him with purpose. "It would be my pleasure to see you back to your residence." Peeta was about to decline, but Gale interrupted him, "Friendly banter will shorten the ride after a long day." He said hopefully, and although Peeta thought that the natural state of the man in front of him was perpetually brooding, as he had never seen him any other way, he could tell there was something begging to spill from the younger man's lips, so he just nodded.

"Lead the way, Captain. It would be my honor to have you as a companion"

They left the palace grounds at a slow pace, as his horse was exhausted. Peeta had left the talking up to his escort wondering when the 'friendly banter' was going to start. He had just reached the conclusion that Captain Hawthorne was not going to say anything when without prompting the man finally spoke.

"Thank you for protecting Miss Primrose. She... She is like a little sister to us... It would be a terrible fate to allow his Highness to approach her... It would kill her mother and certainly her sister. Primrose... She is so delicate and sweet, naive... Life at Court would destroy her" He ground his teeth while speaking. Peeta smirked at his description of Prim as delicate and naive, she was anything but, but he was right, life in this court, where gossip and intrigue were the currencies of the day, would flatten her spirit and suck the life out of her pretty blue eyes.

"The Prince will not be deterred. I will have to think of something else, other than that stupid nunnery lie to keep him at bay. If I am not mistaken, allowing this union, would be similar to what had happened to that poor Lady Crane, before her innocence got bluntly bashed out of her" He said mournfully. "I will protect Prim, even if I have to smuggle her out of Panem to save her!" He said resolutely, Gale peered at him curiously.

"You are being serious, my Lord? You would defy the Prince for little Prim?" He asked cautiously

"I would. She is my responsibility; I love her as if she was my own flesh and blood. She has literally beaten her way into my heart, and I would not dare to disappoint her family, I will not let her down... Not to mention she has chosen a beau... She has fought tooth and nail for the right to choose her own suitor, I doubt she would appreciate an imposition like this; she is a very determined maid." Gale just furrowed his brow for a moment, he thought the Duke had no idea of who sweet, quiet, little Prim was, but he let it go in order to address the issue that was truly bothering him.

"M-my Lord... I know I am overstepping my boundaries, I know I should not meddle in such private matters, but I cannot hold my peace... You were vague enough with your answers to the Prince... And... I need to know..." Peeta interrupted Gale's nervous babbling in a soothing voice.

"Sir Gale... I do not know exactly what you want to know... But think and determine if you really are ready to hear the answers to your questions... Man to man, I would be honest with you, but I am not  so sure you will like my responses much..." The younger man looked pained but asked anyway.

"She is not an innocent maid anymore? She has fulfilled her concubinage contract to you?" Peeta'a face set, and gave a confirming nod, Gale momentarily stopped breathing and choked back a little sob. Peeta felt sincerely bad for the man beside him.

"I... I am so sorry to cause you distress, Sir Gale... I truly do love her, whatever Cato said... Katniss is my whole life, my heart, my everything. Do not think for a second she is just entertainment for me, I have granted her say over almost everything I own, because she has given me something I thought died in me years ago... Happiness, love and hope. She is my partner and confidant, I respect her for her bravery, resocerfulness, wisdom and intellect, her physical beauty although eternally great, is just an amplified bonus of everything else that makes her herself" Peeta said softly. Gale took a moment to think his next question.

"Will she be taking a husband? As her oldest friend, I do worry about her future and well-being, my Lord... I wished... I wish, she had not had found herself in such a desperate position as to become a Concubine. I would have married her myself, but time and distance, have been a very efficient eye opener. She was right, we would have not shared romantic love, but an easy comfortable companionship, until the issue of having a family came into play, then we would have resented each other, thus effectively ending a beautiful friendship... She was right to refuse my advances... But, I still feel protective of her" the knight looked at the Duke in the eyes, and they both reflected understanding and honesty, a truce of sorts was formed right then. "I want her to be happy and loved. If she is that at your side, then I can rest easy, my Lord" Peeta nodded, veering his sight to the road ahead before turning to face Gale once again.

"She has agreed to marry me as soon as I secure a divorce from the Duchess of Merch. So, I guess, the answer is, yes, she will take a husband, but she will not be courted by anyone in the proper sense of courtship. I do consider it to be unfair to her, and a pity, for she deserves to be swept of her feet by romance and such, but I doubt she would put much stock in romance at the end, I am sure she rather keep things practical." Gale sighed something that sounded like, ' _sounds like her!'_ "I have already named her my primary heir, and she has more legal rights over my entire estate and wealth than the Duchess ever had... She is unaware of all this, but, I cannot have anyone accusing her of foul play in case anything ever happens to me. Her inheritance will not be contested." Peeta was saying all this in a business like tone, so when his stomach gave a loud hungry growl, the levity of the sound made Gale smile for the first time all day.

"My Lord... I doubt that Miss Everdeen will care much about coin or possessions, but she will be very crossed if she ever found that I let her future husband go hungry while I have food to share at my own table. It would be my honor to invite you to share my bread, Sir. My Family home is scarcely a block away from here, and your house is still a bit ways far, please... Join me."

"If you so insist, master Hawthorne lead the way. I am quite ravenous to be truthful. And I know my Lady would be doubly crossed if I refused your most generous invitation!"

Both man turned their mounts to the direction of the Hawthorne family home for a late night meal.

As the rode in silence, Peeta a quiet confession "I do love her with all my heart, Sir Gale. Katniss is my whole life. If you think I would defy the Prince to keep Primy away from his clutches... You can bet your pension I would straight out commit treason against the Crown to protect my wife"

"I believe you Sir... I would pledge my sword to your protection if that ever came to happen" Gale knew instinctively when Peeta said Wife, it was his best friend he was referring to, and not the Witch Mellark, as his siblings called her.

 

==========================

 

"Mr. Dalton!" Katniss called loudly at the entranced of the stable. Diana was growling and chewing at the limp leash that dangled loosely from her mistress’s hand.

Dalton jogged his way to meet Katniss at the gates. Giving a hasty bow in her direction, he asked, "My Lady, how can I help you?"

He saw the young woman wrinkle her nose in disgust, before she asked in annoyance, "Does this stable smell like manure to you, Mr. Dalton?" her eyes open and expectant.

"Honestly, my Lady, it does not smell any worse than any other given time, at least to my perception. But, living in a house full of females, I have learned that women have a keener sense of smell than men do, so I will have this place scrubbed cleaned in no time." The man assured her with a sweet smile, usually she would return the gesture in kind, but at the moment she felt sick to her stomach standing there smelling the obnoxious odor of horse droppings. She was concentrating hard on not spilling her breakfast all over Dalton's shoes, so she hastily thanked him, and asked him to bring forth Fortuna for her; she was too queasy to venture further in the stables.

When she had secured both leashes in each hand, she ran, literally, out into the open field with both animals trotting right at her heels. She met Prim, who was sitting near the frozen pond on a blanket, with that fur ball Buttercup, playing with the strings of the edge of her scarf. Prim was bundled up in so many layers of warm clothing, that her movements were slow and clumsy, as her range of motion was obstructed. Katniss said she did not understand how could Prim feel so cold, when she felt like Spring was warming up. Prim gave her a look that communicated she thought her big sister was losing it... It was 30 degrees Fahrenheit according to the thermometer hanging outside the kitchen doors that led to the completely lifeless vegetable garden.

The girls, spent most of the afternoon playing with their respective pets. Katniss was weary of how Diana coward at the mere sight of Buttercup, she could not understand how a hound dog, bread for hunting small animals could be intimidated by that ugly looking cat that was no bigger than a juvenile hare. So she decided that Buttercup was a bully behind everyone's back. Prim defended her Cat's innocence and honor vehemently, saying that he was found half dead and mangled by the kennels so if he was feisty with dogs, it was their own fault and she was proud of him. That effectively ended the play date with each sister in a grumpy mood. Thus the days were filled with visits to the pond, and balancing the books, there had been no visitors, since the Royal funerals had been announced.

Peeta had been gone for five days and it was Thom's fourth day away. So it was a surprise to see the younger man stroll down the main road riding Lucius, the Duke's favorite horse. Rue saw him first, while cleaning the window panes in the Drawing room; she let her rags fall into a bucket of soapy water, and ran to inform her friend. In her haste, she failed to see that Mrs. Everdeen and Lady Trinket were both with Prim in the library. Katniss’s intervention was the only thing that saved the maid from an awful scolding.

"Oh, so you found Prim before I did! Thank you Miss Rue... You may go back to your previous chores. I shall take it from here." She said calmly and gave her a tiny winked, as if she had just sent the girl on a frantic chase for her sister. When she knew perfectly well where Prim would be according to Effie's meticulous scheduling system, she kept the house running like a well-oiled clock.

"Oh, Mother, Lady Trinket... Forgive me, I sincerely forgot about Primrose's study session this afternoon... I figured if His Grace sent any correspondence with Mr. Homes I would like to share it with her... So, if you excuse us, we will go out and greet Mr. Homes now." She grabbed Prim's hand and pulled her out of the room before either woman had a retort to counter her actions. They ran together hand in hand toward the courtyard, but Thom was already walking through the threshold, Prim squealed as soon as she saw him, and let go of her sister's hand and lunged into her boyfriend's open arms, she kissed his grinning lips like they would not have this opportunity again, and maybe it was true, because Katniss could hear the rapid steps of Effie and their Mother approaching.

"Prim! Mother is coming!" She alerted her sister, Thom let go of her right away, but Prim lingered a second longer. She released the young man just as Lady Trinket stepped into the foyer.

"So Lucious has already been taken care of? That is great! Please, follow me into the drawing room, Mr. Homes, sometimes I forget my manners! I do not want to appear rude, I am just anxious to hear about your journey back home... It seem awfully quick." Katniss said as if had been in the middle of greeting the newcomer when the women entered. Prim was impressed at how her goody-two-shoes big sister had seamlessly fabricate a conversation out of the blue To cover for her and Thom, she kept her distance from him, like a good proper lady, and grinned at Katniss as soon as she got her eye, she was again her number one hero!

While they walked in the direction of the sitting room, Katniss asked the only question she was truly interested in, "Can I assume that His Grace will soon follow? Seeing as you made it back three full days earlier than anticipated?" She gave Thom a piercing look, and he grimaced a little.

"Uh... No my Lady... His Grace has been... ' _invited_ ', to stay behind for another week. The interment happened the day I arrived, it was quite... peculiar. Normally these affairs take time, as a lot of protocol and formal rites have to be observed, but apparently the Queen's remains were decomposing at quite an alarming rate. Most attendees were dispatched a day or two later..."

"But not his Grace." finished Effie a thin line forming on her lips.

"Was he provided with a reason why, he has being detained at Court?" asked Mrs. Everdeen uneasily. Thom's whole face scrunched up for a moment, before nodding.

"Lady Winter Home's presence has been requested at the Capitol. She has two days to present herself before the King and Prince. She will be staying at the Duchess of Merch's Chateau during her visit, and she will be her guest of honor." disgust dripping out of his every word.

"You can certainly not be serious Mr. Homes!" Mrs. Everdeen voiced in alarm. She had stood up so fast she almost tripped over the small tea table in front of her knees.

"Lady Trinket is to accompany her, per His Grace's request. Lord Abernathy will be escorting both Ladies on the journey, and Lord Odair has agreed to join them as well. Captain Hawthorne has ordered Dame Mason to be stationed at the Duchess's abode, and to become the Lady Katniss's shadow." He said quickly looking at all the women in the eyes each one at a time. Then he looked deeply into Katniss's staring eyes, and lost all propriety "Katniss, Peeta is trying his hardest to have you come stay with him. That is the reason the Baron is traveling to the Capitol, legally you are to sleep in Peeta's bed every night, as per your binding contract... They just have to make the argument before the King before you are allowed to be housed with him. Captain Hawthorne has been planning your security detail around the clock, and little Miss Posey Hawthorne has been appointed as your... Um... Companion... Chaperone... I have no idea what her role is, but she will be with you always, in case you indeed have to go to the Duchess's place."

"Why am I being called, Thom? It makes no sense... I am... no one of importance, at least not to the kingdom!" Katniss asked a little shaken.

"Honestly, I have no idea. His Grace sent correspondence to each of you," his voice returning to that of a gentleman as he addressed  the rest of the ladies. "All correspondence are for your eyes only, unless otherwise stated. I assumed he would explain his hunches, as he and the Captain have their suspicions, but he told me it was best if I knew nothing." He said with an edge to his voice.

"Peeta and Gale were talking to each other?" Prim asked surprised.

"Um... They do, actually. They spend a lot of time plotting together. It is quite annoying actually." He almost whined in annoyance, jealousy, might have been the edge Katniss detected in his voice.

"What about the House, Mr. Homes? Did his Grace leave any orders to be followed?" asked Lady Trinket.

"Of course, Mrs. Everdeen will be in charge of the maids in the main house. Thresh will continue as he is, Dalton as well, and I will be taking Lady Katniss's place as Head of the House, until everyone returns. Miss Everdeen is to... Um... Stay with her Mother at all times. And they would be sharing the Master's chambers." The last part came as an embarrassed mumble; he could not meet any one’s eyes. Mrs. Everdeen was a little surprise by this new arrangement, but she did not complain. She was surprised the Duke would bestow such trust upon her, but she decided he was letting her run a whole Healing Center, this would be great practice for it, and less complicated as well.

Two days is almost not enough time, but too much time all the same. Katniss cannot stop thinking, nor fidgeting. She feels sick to her stomach a lot, and Cecilia tells her that it is her nerves getting the best of her. It is not enough to send her to the toilet to unload her stomach's contents, but it is quite upsetting to feel this way. She had managed to sneak a few hours of rest here and there when Peeta had left since she could not achieve a full night's sleep, as their bed felt cold and empty without him. She was used to his strong arm flung over her middle section so that now having the weight not there, made her feel out of sorts. But, it was the deafening lack of his heart beat drumming inside his firm chest, the thing that would keep her awake for hours.

She was more exhausted now, than ever before... And then the other thing she discovered that made her feel dirty and shameful, was how much she missed his manhood. She was mortified that she would actually miss that part of his anatomy so badly. She had spent the whole previous night thinking about how would it feel to take his member in her mouth... He had never asked for that, she had never offered, so it had never happened. But she was very aware of that action, Johanna had taken it upon herself to give her specific instructions on how to do it right, the only thing she did not do, was ask her to practice on a vegetable or something equally disturbing. She claimed "My friend deserves his dick properly serviced". Katniss had been positively appalled by the concept, but now she was thinking, it was only fair, as he was always orally pleasing her, that she should return the favor. So she had spent half the night toying with herself while imagining his big thick cock in her mouth, and the other half feeling wretched for doing that without him there.

The Earl arrived late the day before their trip; as usual he was moody and mistrusted everything about the whole ordeal. He was sure Cashmere was somehow behind everything, but after reading his private missive, he clammed up about it. Katniss’s own letter tipped more in towards eroticism than anything else. In the letter he asked her to touch herself while reading the last paragraph, which was a very graphic explanation of all the things he would be doing to her, if he had been in bed with her that night... She did as he requested... a couple of times throughout the day, when she had a chance. It was shameful the way they acted, like everything revolved around their sexual relationship instead of a more meaningful, thing... Like... Their minds; but she had the letter crumpled in her fist while thinking these thoughts.

Their coach was loaded and ready to depart right after breakfast. Katniss was nervous to be going back to her old home, there was nothing there anymore to make it a home for her. Her family had relocated to Merch and their old house had been rented out, and she now had a brand new life with Peeta... Well... Peeta was in the Capitol, so there went her whole 'I have nothing there left to call home' plus the Hawthornes were there. She figured she should at least try and see her old friends while visiting, if she had a chance. She was sure Gale would manage to see her; even if she was not sure she wanted to see him. The whole Peeta and Gale allegiance gave her a headache; in her mind, those two did not mix at all, so hearing about their camaradery was extremely strange.

Time came to hug her Mother and sister good-bye and it too felt strange, as she never thought of leaving them behind in Winter Home while she traveled back to the Capitol.

"Please take good care of each other! I love you both! Keep your fingers crossed. I really hope the Baron can straighten everything out for me and I do not have to stay with that woman" she whispered into her family's necks, as she embraced them both at the same time.

"You will be fine, Katniss... Peeta will see to that!" Prim said encouragingly, while Mrs. Everdeen kissed her softly on the forehead.

"The Duke is a resourceful man, darling. If we have learn something in these past few months, is that he will get his way in the end" Katniss could not tell if she meant it as a jab or not, but nodded in agreement.

"Come on Sweetheart, we are burning daylight, and Quattro is supposed to be waiting for us just a few miles before the Capitol. I can already feel my poor back crying in pain!" Haymitch lamented extending an arm to help Effie up into the carriage and waiting for Katniss.

Katniss turned to Thom, "Watch over them, please! I know Mother is a piece of work at the moment, but she means well... She will see you for the wonderful man you are soon enough!" She said giving him a pat on the cheek affectionately.

"I hope you are right, my Lady... Nothing would please me more, than be worthy of your sister's hand in the eyes of your Mother!" He gave her a shy smile at that. "Please take care of yourself." He bowed to her and kissed her knuckles.

Lastly she addressed her help, "Mr. Gabriel, please take good care of my foal and pup. Do not let them grow fat and lazy. Miss Cecilia, please assist my Mother in anything she needs, I am sure between you and Mrs. Sae you will have no trouble running the whole place. I have given Bristol and Leevy a few days off, so they can travel to their respective families while I am gone, they should arrive back sometime next week. If I am not back by then, please find them chores where they can be useful. Rue, dear... your job is to keep my sister company... That is all! Everyone if you have any doubts, do not hesitate ask to Mr. Thresh for directions. Mr. Thomas Homes would act as Master of Winter Home until His Grace's return, please cooperate with him. May you remember us in your prayers!" With that, she finally took Haymitch's hand and boarded the coach that would bring to her childhood home, to Peeta and a confrontation with his wife she was sorely dreading.

 

==========================

 

"Come now, my Lord. All this pacing about, is causing me dizziness" Cashmere said in her most velvety voice, Peeta shot her the dirtiest look he could muster, and continued his endless pacing. He was told that unless he wanted to miss Katniss’s arrival, he had to be at his wife's residence for tea. He was not quite sure why the King was so invested in this personal matter, he had insisted Katniss arrived at her Mistress’s home and be welcomed there by both of them.

He knew that Cashmere hated having him there, just as much as he hated being there, but neither dared defy the King. As he was doing his millionth turn, he had spied Lady Glimmer peek into the Drawing Room, she had tried to stay hidden without success, but he pretended he did not see her and allowed her to study him all she wanted until she was gone. He truly felt sorry for the young woman, she was another innocent victim of circumstances, and the hand she had been dealt was absolute shit.

"You know, my Lady? Your friend really does not need to hide." He said releasing a heavy sigh, Cashmere looked up at him nervously, it struck him as strange the way her eyes widened in surprise, it was not a normal sight for her, she never lost her cool in uncomfortable situations, seeing vulnerability in her gaze was a new thing for him. He felt his guard lower an inch, and sat down, picking up a tiny sandwich and shoving it into his mouth. "I mean to say... This is your house, and she is clearly an important tenant. I am sure she would rather be able to have refreshments out here than wherever she is holed up." He chewed thoughtfully as Cashmere composed herself slowly.

"I do not think it would be a good idea for you to meet the future Queen of Panem without the King to make official introductions... But... Thank you... That is very generous of you, my Lord." Peeta was surprised to hear her speak in her natural tone of voice for once, it had been years since he had heard her speak like that; like the real Cashmere. He must have been staring too long, because she gave him a quizzical once over, and asked uncomfortably what was wrong. He smiled at the fact that he had made her feel uncomfortable, but said easily,

"Sometimes, when I hear you talk... the real you... it is like I can hear her voice again." He turned away from her and shoved another little sandwich in his mouth, just to have something to do.

Her face hardened, then softened. She sighed. "Are you over her, Peter? Are you really in love with the Concubine? Have you forgotten her?" She asked sadly, staring at her ice pink shoes that peeked out from under her pink skirt. She had donned her best gown and truly looked lovely, but, she was still her under the make-up and hair and expensive jewels, untrustworthy, conniving and calculating.

"I will not discuss my feelings for my Concubine with you, Cashmere. But I can honestly say that I have reached peace were Margaret is concerned. I am willing to bet it is the same for you. I do not think I will ever stop loving Madge, but it was time for me to let her rest in peace, and that is what I have done." He said honestly, she nodded, and finally looked back at him. Her green eyes had a shine he could not place right away, but soon he saw the familiar Cashmere emerge from deep within. She had a bright sideways smile that promised all kinds of terrible, plastered on her face, when she next spoke.

"You have never thanked me for the gift, my dear husband! What would dear Effie say about your very bad manners? And here I was thinking that I had finally done something right to bring you... Pleasure!" She said, all words of seduction falling like sticky honey from her plump pink lips. He stared at her mouth for a moment, and cursed Cashmere for having those lips... she reminded him of a very similar pair of delicious lips, he had been dying to taste for days now.

"Goddammit Cashmere..." He gritted out. "We were having a civilized conversation!" It was as good excuse as any to cover up for his fluster-ness. She mock pursed her lips, and said in a childlike voice,

"Aww... Have I hit a sensitive nerve? Forgive my naughtiness, I will be good now and stick to safe topics... Like, the nasty weather outside!" She said dramatically. He just glared at her ready to shoot her a retort, but the sound of hooves against stone stopped him.

He shot out of the puffy couch he had been occupying and flew to the window looking out into her courtyard. He turned to tell her that they had arrived, but she was only two paces behind him peering out, she seemes surprised to see him so happy. He quickly shoved her aside and ran to the front doors, where one of her maids was already turning the knob to open it wide.

He seemed to realize this was not his house, so he went back to the Drawing Room, where he found Cashmere looking at herself in a mirror smoothing her hair out. Grabbing her by the elbow impatiently he pulled her out of the room and into the entrance,

"Come, you need to greet your guests!" He said quietly dragging her after him.

"Alright! I am coming... Just calm yourself down and let go of my arm... You are very brusque, you know. That poor girl must be covered in bruises if you treat her like this!" She protested. He winced at her words, and loosened his hold, only letting her go once they were standing under the grey sky on the icy steps leading to her house.

Finnick was just dismounting his horse; he looked like he needed a very strong shot of alcohol to warm up, he moved stiffly and like he was in pain. Peeta kept bouncing on the balls of his feet, he could barely contain himself, he wished he could just rush to his friend and pull him into a male embrace. He was excited about Finnick’s new baby as much as he had just missed seeing him.

Finally the little door to the coach opened and out came the crooked frame of the Earl of Seam, Peeta had expected the old man to look angrier, but at the moment he just looked like he was in need of a bed and a fluffy pair of slippers. Then he saw her... his face lighting up like he was a small child in a sweet shop. Cashmere tried to study his reaction to seeing the girl, and was slightly amused by what she saw: where he was almost jumping in place with surplus energy at the sight of both the Baron and the Earl, one look at the young lady, and he was rendered motionless, he was smiling like a damned fool, his eyes shone bright, and his usually steady breathing pattern got irregular.

It seemed like Katniss had not seen him yet, as she was busy straightening her gown and trying to help the Earl stand straight as well. She had been muttering something only the Earl could hear, but then she lifted her head, and her eyes met his. Cashmere saw the name form on the younger woman's lips: " _Peeta_ " followed by blushing and shy sweet smiles. Cashmere rolled her eyes. Of course they were both a pair of fools in love!

"Our girl truly is beautiful, dear husband! I will be collecting your gratitude for choosing you such an exquisite specimen!" She sang-song quietly, leaning closer to him. She saw his face harden, and she did not miss the hatred in his gaze, she smiled brightly.

"I will appreciate it, if you stayed away from my Concubine. Yes, she was your find, but she is mine and only mine!" He growled in return. Everyone watching the exchanged could feel the animosity, but it was the rage she saw in his eyes that made Katniss's heart hurt and beat erratically, all the anxiety she had been feeling since Thom's return with news of her summons hit her gut, she only had time to turn away from Lord Abernathy before the meager morsels she had eaten during their journey made a reappearance.

This, for some reason made Cashmere run to aid the young Concubine. She had reacted so fast, she was the first one to reach her side, and was soothingly rubbing her back, while she emptied the contents of her stomach right behind the carriage that just brought them there. Peeta finally reacted, when saw Haymitch about to pounce on the Duchess and probably tackle her away from the bent over form that was Katniss. Finnick lunged for Haymitch, and Effie had just jumped out of the wagon in a most un-lady like fashion, luckily no one there was concerned about propriety.

"Katniss! Are you alright?" He asked out of breath, Katniss was too busy dry heaving to answer.

"Does she look like she is alright to you, husband? Go to the maid and order her some water to drink and basin and towels to clean up, send everything to the bedchamber that has been prepared for her..." Her voice had been firm and commanding, very unlike herself, almost like she cared.

"How about you go give the orders to your employees, and I tend to my woman?" He said harshly.

"You are my husband, even if you do not live in this house, they all know who you are... They will obey! Now let me take her inside, after all she is _my_ guest, in _my_ house!" She spat back irritated.

Reluctantly he did as she said, but was quickly back next to Katniss who had finally stopped retching; Lady Trinket was with her now.

"I am fine, really... I am just a nervous wreck. I will be right as day in a few minutes! Really! You can stop fanning over me now" She said weakly to Lady Trinket who was still fussing over her.

"Come ladies, I have prepared a chamber for Miss Everdeen, where she can clean up and rest. If you distinguished gentleman follow my maid into the Drawing Room, you can also rest and perhaps have a refreshing drink." She put her arm around Katniss to help her up, but Katniss immediately called out for the one she really wanted to be with.

"Peeta?" She said so softly it was almost a whisper. He held her hand.

"I am here, dear. I will come with you, so Lady Trinket can sit with Lords Odair and Abernathy for a moment." It was a clear order for Effie, the older lady nodded, not hiding her unhappiness at the arrangement.

"None of this is proper protocol!" Lady Trinket seethed under her breath, once she reached the Earl; he just grunted his assent moodily.

Leaning in closer, Finnick whispered in response, "None of this situation is proper, my Lady. All of this feels... Sinful... Wrong! I cannot wait for His Grace to finally put his life under some order. He deserves happiness, but this all feels..."

"Let it go, son!" Haymitch interrupted. "We all know this was not the path he had chosen for himself. All there is to do now, is support him until whatever end comes..." His gravelly voice had almost no emotion until his next words, "God! I need a drink... my flask has been empty for the last two hours. Let us go see what dear Cashmere plans to poison us with." 

Peeta held his beloved Katniss's hand, and kissed her knuckles, while Cashmere smoothed the girls wrinkly skirt in an almost caring way... Certainly, none of this was proper protocol.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry it took me so long to update, I had to desperatly take a break from writing... So many things had happened to me since I last updated: I became a US Citizen (I'm originally from South America) and then found out that I was expecting a child with chromosomal issues... Sadly I lost the baby not a week after I got the news. 
> 
> I'm ok now, and ready to get back in the metaphoric saddle. I did write a One Shot story during my hours of siting boringly in the waiting room of Immigration Services, before my Interview and test to become part of this amazing contry, it's titled: 'Last Wish', and I will be posting it soon, after I give it some finishing touches. 
> 
> About 'The Concubine' You may have noticed I have taken down the chapter limit, this is due to the last three chapters stretching longer than what I had mapped out, altering the expected chapter count... I guess more is better in this case? Either way, I'm working on it, and hopefully I'll be back to updating once a week... Fingers crossed. 
> 
> There were no Canon quotes in this chapter, but thoughts are still in Italics.
> 
> Side note: in chapter 16, Peeta's locket made an appearance, and although nobody seem bothered by it not being described like the canon locket, I would still explain my choices, just 'cause I meant to do it back then and I forgot... But, in the book the locket is round in shape with the Mockingjay on it. Mine is Rectangular, akin to the movie representation, but this one has an M inlaid with grains of wheat and tiny jewels. As in my story Mockingjays are the symbol of the House of Donner, and more specifically Donner descendant females, it made no sense to have a Mellark heirloom have a Mockingjay on it. Instead I went with grain of wheat, because... Bread!!! the Boy with the Bread needs to be somehow connected to bread and he truly isn't a baker in this fic (nor he'd lose his leg... So... There!). Hope that makes sense.
> 
> As always, love to hear your opinions! Comments are always welcome!


	18. The Capitol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Big cyber hugs for my Beta abk1973... Thank you for everything you do to better this fic!
> 
> Warning: Cashmere/Peeta smut right ahead.

_If there was something Cashmere hated it was taking a man in her mouth, she despised it with all her being, but as she saw the half erected member of her new husband, she knew there was no other option. He was not getting any more aroused just by looking at her naked body and he refused to engage further in any foreplay, she was frustrated by his flat out dismissal. She had never failed to seduce a man, which made it more surprising, she was still, technically, a virgin._ That _she had to thank her bastard of a Father for._

 _Cray DeLoche would use his little girl to pay his many debts, but he would never allow any man take her maidenhead. That was far more valuable than anything; he needed_ that _to marry her off to somebody who could keep his coffers full and not merely breaking even. If he could see her now... She was married to one of the most coveted bachelors in the kingdom, she was now nobility! She bitterly smiled to herself... that bastard would never see a copper of coin from her marriage, and the thought made her happy. Now if only, said husband would get hard enough to fuck her and make all of this finally official!_

_She dropped to her knees in front of him, he looked uncomfortable with it, but did not move away. He knew as well as her, they needed to consummate their marriage, as fake as it was. She had spent the day at a hair stylist, trying to straighten her curly hair, she thought looking like the one he rather have would help their situation, but that only went so far. As her face was only inches away from his member, she felt her body respond involuntarily to the thick manhood leveled with her eyes, she had learned to appreciate men, and this particular man was a fine specimen, regardless of who he was._

_She grabbed his base in her fist and slid her hand up, he was slightly responding to her touch, she looked up and saw his eyes where closed tightly. She slid her hand back down, and he sighed. She decided it was time, so she opened her mouth wide, and took all of him in one fell swoop. Her nose was buried in his coarse light brown hair. She heard him curse under his breath and she smiled triumphantly. Soon her nose was far from his pubic hair and the tip of his manhood hit the back of her throat with abandon, gathering speed and force. He kept grunting his appreciation, and suddenly gathered her hair in a ponytail; she looked up and found his lusting blue eyes fixed on her head bobbing up and down, but then... One look into her eyes... And he pulled out of her mouth with a growl._

_"Fuck! Why did you have to look at me? Your eyes are green... You are not her!" He spat angrily. Her nails dug deep into the skin of his thighs where her hands had been holding on while sucking him._

_"Then do not look at my eyes. Focus on my mouth. When you get close then let me know... I want to get this over with, as much as you do!" She said between gritted teeth._

_"Just get off the floor... Get on the bed, I am sufficiently ready now." He said still sounding annoyed._

_She did as he said, and lay on her brand new bed, legs spread open, she started caressing herself all over, two of her fingers found her pleasure nub and she started rubbing it, he just watched her for a moment, pumping himself a few times... She was beautiful, he could not deny it, and what she did with her mouth... was the best he had ever had. Watching her play with herself was incredibly sexy, and he hated every second of it. Finally he crawled on the bed and on top of her, she tried to kiss him, but he moved his face away, this angered her some, but she did not try it again._

_"Just... Close your eyes... And, we will be done soon." He said as soft as he could. She nodded._

_He started to touch and pinch her breasts; they were bigger than Madge's, but smaller than Delly's. He took one in his mouth and after suckling on it he took a bite, she had been panting softly, but as she felt his teeth she let out a cry of pain. He did not apologize, he just went to her other breast and roughly sucked on it, she was moaning loudly now, arching her chest more fully into his warm mouth. He let go with a pop, and brought his fingers to her privates, moving her own hand aside, he tested her wetness, and found her dripping. Without another thought he plunged into her to the hilt, and she screamed in pain._

_"What the fuck Peter!" She screeched, tears rolling down her cheeks, "I told you I was a fucking virgin!" She said while slapping his chest hard._

_"Sorry... I did not realize you were seriously telling the truth. But I guess we will not have to procure blood stains by other means." He said smirking a little, he really did not feel bad about this, although he was surprised about it, his wife already had a notorious reputation as being sexually gifted._

_"Fuck you!" She spat._

_"Already on it, dear!" He said with a smile, and started thrusting into her. "How is it that you have saved yourself for... your husband, all this time? I was sure you would have been completely deflowered by now" He grunted into her ear while slowing his pace a bit, if he was not to fuck anyone again, he would make this round with his wife last as long he could._

_"You really want to know? You sick bastard?" She asked still angry._

_"No... Not really... But, I am very surprised. Now... Let us not talk any more; this conversation is making me soft again."_

_"Fine by me! Get done so I can send this sheet to court!" She spat._

_It took him a good 15 minutes to be done, he would slow down or speed up depending on what was feeling too good, she seem like she was enjoying it as well after a while, even moaning a little. He decided to help her out, by making her orgasm a couple of times with his fingers, he was not going to be accused of being a selfish lover. Then he flipped her over onto her hands and knees and drove hard and fast into her... He spilled himself on her lower back, he was not allowed to wear a condom when he was ordered to lay with his bride, but he was not obligated to impregnate Cashmere DeLoach, and he did not intend to do it either. Once he was done, he laid next to her for a brief moment while he caught his breath, then he left her bed. Once he left her bed... he never returned._

 

=========================

 

The Duchess house was more like a very fancy chateau, it was very feminine, with crystal chandeliers in almost every room, and most walls were painted a deep old pink with gold little flower and leaf patterns. The few walls not pink were a soft minty color with decorations all over the place. The furniture was also upholstered in different shades of deep rose, while most of the wood work was white with a light golden shine on it.

Katniss felt fine, just a little flustered after all the unwanted attention; she kept telling them she was fine, she only needed a moment in the washroom to clean up. They were all clearly overreacting over nothing! But since they were still fussing over her, she just clamped up her mouth and walked forth just admiring each room they passed with mild interest. This felt like deja-vú, she had done the exact same thing when she first came to Winter Home, getting shuffled around the place after suffering a small panic attack right after arriving to the coldest reception ever. Peeta had not been there, neither had Lady Trinket, she was met by Mr. Thom and Mr. Thresh and a very shy Miss Rue. She remembered how her assistant ladies kept asking questions about the Master's looks, and she felt sick to her stomach back then, not unlike right now, when both her Master and Mistress were leading the way.

They entered a richly furnished chamber where everything was plush, it was so feminine it gave Katniss a strong urge to roll her eyes in frustration and gag. If the receiving areas were pink and cute, this chamber was perfectly decorated for a 5 year old pampered little aristocrat girl. There were feathers and cushions and doilies everywhere, she tried to catch Peeta's eye, and when she did, she saw his amusement clearly painted in his gaze. He was doing something with his mouth that Katniss presumed was to stop himself from laughing out loud. She could not imagine these two people ever coming to a compromise where decorating a house is concerned.

"This is your chamber Miss Everdeen..."

"For now!" Peeta interrupted. "As soon as Baron Odair gets his bearings regarding this mess, we will be departing to Victor's Village." Cashmere did not indicate that she was troubled by his words, but merely smiled placidly.

"Right... But, until my Lord gets his way, this will serve as Miss Everdeen's chambers... I truly hope it is to your liking dear." Cashmere flashed her most winning smile at them, and Katniss felt a foreboding shiver run down her spine.

"It is lovely, Your Grace. Please accept my gratitude for such attention." Katniss gave a little curtsy. Peeta was having a hard time witnessing the love of his life act so submissive in front of the woman he considered the bane of his existence. Granted, Cashmere was Katniss' direct Mistress in this case, Katniss worked for his wife and whatever she was back at his place; She was acting accordingly to her station in this house, he still hated it, but could not fault her for it.

"Now, if my Lord will be so kind to allow me to attend to my guest, while he attends to his, I believe we can all get back into our schedule... Tea will be getting cold, and it would be a great pity if dear Miss Everdeen did not enjoy it!" Peeta was fuming, he could not believe his ears, he had just been dismissed from the chamber by his wife, and his voice was icy when he spoke.

"I am sure your maids will keep the finger foods plentiful for them! Right now my only concern is Miss Everdeen!" He said firmly.

"Well, we finally have something in common then! My immediate concern is Miss Everdeen's well-being!" Cashmere said in a more real tone of voice, if a little harsh. "As a matter of fact, I think I will call in my physician, so he can examine Miss Everdeen, and make sure she is in good health!"

"Hell No!" Was Peeta's immediate response, one look into Katniss pleading face, and he knew it was the right thing to oppose to. "If she needs to see a Doctor it will be one provided by me!"

"Oh my Lady... My Lord, do not trouble yourselves, I feel quite alright! My stomach was unsettled by the many bumps of the road in addition to the enclosed space in which we had been traveling for the last few hours... I do not wish you to think I am complaining or ungrateful, it is just... I am glad the journey is finally over! And, honestly, my stomach feels so much better now! I have even developed quite an appetite! There is no need for a Doctor!" She hastily provided.

"I still think that you should be check out by a medical professional, just to be sure everything is in order, we do not want sweet Miss Everdeen to have caught a stomach bug, as I always say, better safe than sorry..."

"She has her own medical care back in Merch! If she says she does not want to be checked, then, she will not be checked!" Peeta spat, fire burning in his eyes.

Cashmere's jaw tightened in anger, she knew this was a lost battle and she was not happy about it.

"Very well! As you please! I will leave the girl be for the time being! But..." She said haughtily "As this is still my house, I will ask His Grace to kindly leave the chamber, so I can assist Miss Everdeen in washing up, and get presentable for tea" She did not bothered to hide her mood change.

Peeta was about to scream at her once more, but Katniss shook her head slightly, with downcast eyes and hands held together in front of her in a submissive stance. He took this as his cue to calm down and trust her actions, he knew she was bound to obey Cashmere, as much as he hated it, so he held his tongue and gave a very curt nod, he still made his contempt known before leaving the room.

The silent exchange between the Duke and his Concubine was not lost in Cashmere; this, above anything else made her blood pump in something akin to fear. ' _Was it possible that this barely-old-enough nymph thing, had such power over the most closed off man in Panem?_ ' Cashmere herself, with all her experience as a seductress has never held so much control over a man's will. She had to shake her head for a moment to get away from this feeling of jealousy that was starting to prick deep inside of her. She had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment, so she finally turned to the young woman.

"Well... Now that His Grace is gone, let us start getting you cleaned up. I bet the journey was dreadful! And I think we should be a bit more worried about the little mishap in the courtyard dear?" She spoke with such familiarity, as if the both of them had been friends for ages that it made Katniss uncomfortable.

"Thank you, my Lady; but, I do not expect my embarrassing moment is of any consequence. The road really had been bumpy and uneven, and in the very tiny coach with all the smells of perfume and alcohol and... Just people, mixed together, made it hard not to be sick. I am just glad it did not happen while I was still inside the carriage, to be honest." She finished trying to sound as dignified as she could.

"Oh... I was worried there would be another reason for your sickness! But, alas... I still wish my physician could have a looksie at you, just to corroborate that you are in top notch health, my dear Miss Everdeen." She stated as if it was unimportant, when she clearly was trying to push the issue forward.

"I can assure you my lady; I am in the healthiest condition since my Father's passing. I exercise regularly, I eat nutritious and balanced meals, and I have even gained a healthy amount of weight which I used to lack. I actually feel wonderful, other than the queasiness caused by my travels... But, if you still like me to get assessed, I will gladly have my Mother run tests once I return to Merch, and promptly mail them to you, my Lady. My Mother has been appointed Head Healer of the new Healing Center back in Merch." Katniss said, refusing once and for all the medical evaluation Cashmere so much wanted to push. If there was something she could not be forced to do it was to get checked by a doctor. They could recommend it and even demand an annual physical examination, but it was her right to choose when, who and where to get it from.

"No worries, my pet! I am sure that you are right, and it was just a unfortunate one-time thing!... Now, I have many activities planned for us to do while you are in town!" Katniss fought the urge to cringe in disgust.

"Yes... That sounds... Lovely..." She tried for some enthusiasm.

"Please come, sit here." She pulled a very low ottoman and had Katniss sit on it, and then Cashmere grabbed a dampened rag and proceeded to clean her face with it. Katniss felt confused as to why Cashmere would act so... Motherly towards her, so she forced herself to stay still and allow the woman do as she pleased.

"So... Miss Everdeen..." The older woman, pressed on, as she worked surprisingly tenderly on Katniss's face. "How does my husband enjoy your services?" this was asked as if she was merely inquiring about the cold sloshy weather outside. Katniss tensed up and started to panic.

"Uh... I-I... I do not feel... Comfortable discussing..." She stammered helplessly but Cashmere had lost her patience.

"May I remind you, Miss Everdeen, you are under my payroll? I am exercising my right to review your performance! Believe me when I say, I am very interested in knowing if my husband is satisfied with your services, and this knowledge would dramatically reflect on the duration of your contract... I will not hesitate to terminate it, if either of us feels... let down." She said coldly, the rag scrubbing harsher than she intended. "Have I made myself clear?" ' _This girl was going to answer her questions now, for surely she would be out of her reach and into the Duke's house by nightfall'_. The thought relaxed her a little bit as she would not be sorry to see all these unwelcome people leave her home. Having the Concubine in her abode was a great inconvenience, and an absurd imposition by the King, but she was not about to relay her discomfort to her husband, nor would she hand the girl over so easily. At least she had to find out where she stood in respect with her plot, especially now, that she had seen with her own eyes how taken the Duke was with his lover.

Katniss swallowed her bile, and took a very deep breath; she knew her place, and whatever Peeta had promised her, she was still just his Concubine, and this woman in front of her was still the Duchess. She stood up slowly and brought her hands to clasp in front of her, head held high and responded calmly.

"I apologize, my Lady; I failed to remember our business relationship, and of course, you are entitled to inquire about my... Efficacy." She will treat this like it was just business, that way, she might be able to talk to this woman about something as sacred as her physical relationship with Peeta. In sharing information about their intimacy; however she was not obligated to tell her about their emotional and sentimental relationship. She would keep it simple and strictly about the physical realm. "His Grace enjoys my company greatly. I will venture to say, he is completely satisfied with my... Services." She felt bile rise into her throat again, she hated talking about this topic, especially before the current company and under these terms, but if she thought that answer was going to appease the Duchess, she was terribly wrong.

Cashmere pounced again, relentlessly, "Is that so? Then tell me, how many times a week, does his Grace... Enjoy your... Attributes?" Her face contorted into an impish, almost mocking mask that sneered and pinned her to her spot with beady eyes.

"Ex-excuse me? You want to know... How many times..." She sputtered with widening eyes? Cashmere rolled hers and paced away from the younger woman, clarifying herself impatiently,

"How many times a week does he take you? How many times a week do you fuck?" She shook her head as if she could not believe the thickness of the maid, "It is not a hard question to answer, girl! Men have needs, some more often than others... By the way he looks at you; I might say Peter will most likely want to fuck you as regularly as he breathes! So, tell me... How often?" She demanded exasperatedly.

"I... Uh... Well... He." Katniss scrunched up her face and shut her eyes tightly for a second to rake her soul for a shred of courage. "His Grace, takes his pleasure every night, my lady. Or at least he had, until he was summoned away." She forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly to calm her nerves. "Before you ask, My Lord, the Duke, performs more than once per night, and on lazy days, he would even go for an early morning... encounter!" She willed her voice to remain steady, but it was failing her miserably. Cashmere, on the other hand, looked very pleased, satisfied and even a little impressed.

"That is good!" She exclaimed mollified, "And, you said you had no previous experience? Not even fully clothed play?" She asked with a perfectly manicured, blond eyebrow raised.

"I... I had never been with a man before, no. The Duke is my first and only." Her face felt warm, and her eyes found her hands which started to fidget unconsciously.

"Mmm... Well... He must really get pleasure in teaching you how he likes it done then child!" She laughed, a deep, melodic, almost angelic laugh, any person would mistake it for a laugh that came out of something joyous. "Does he take you during your menses as well? I know of men that find that sort of thing appealing." The question made Katniss' face shoot right up, her eyes filled with disgust, but then she frowned in thought.

"N-no... We... We have only just started having coitus. I have not had one... monthly yet. I... I would doubt he would like that..." Her answer was honest although a little shaken. Something about this specific answer nagged at her at back of her brain, but before a solid thought could take shape, Cashmere made another invasive question.

"Mmm... And your anti-conception medication? Have you been consuming it?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yes, my lady! Dutifully!" She answered without hesitation.

"How about the condoms? Does Peter use them?" she asked again with a suspicious tint to her tone.

"Well... The very first time we were together, he did not. Then he experimented with the rubbery kind, but I did not like it. We then started using the one made of lamb skin that Your Grace so generously provided... I did agree more with the use of that one, but, the material must had been weak, for it ripped... But... Um... He decided that since I have been taking those pills... He... Enjoys... Direct contact, or... At least that is what he said after the lambskin ripped." Her face was burning red with embarrassment, she really did not like having to share all that intimate information. She barely dared to look up at the Duchess, but the look on the woman's face, was not one Katniss expected, nor felt comfortable with: Triumph.

"Very well Miss Everdeen. I am pleased with your report so far. Keep... Doing, whatever it is you are doing. The Duke seems content enough. I believe we should revise your contract ever six months from now on. I would also like you to get a full medical examination as soon as you return to Merch. I think it is important that you keep a healthy life style, I do see the improvements in your physique: fuller breasts, and curvier hips. At first I thought they were just accentuated by a better fitting wardrobe, but, now that I have had the chance to look at you, I can see!" She said this while walking around her, eyes raking over her figure from top to bottom. She smirked, "You even have developed a very nice backside as well!" Her voice was thick and strange, almost husky, "Tell me dear... Has your Lord, ever penetrated your rear orifice?" without warning, she pressed her body flush against the younger woman's back and squeezed her ass aggressively, Katniss yelped and jumped away from the Duchess, her eyes almost falling out of their sockets, her breathing ragged and short and she looked as if she was about to bolt. Cashmere laughed. Katniss did not find the situation amusing at all, so she just stared wide eyed at the woman.

"You truly are innocent! That is probably what he likes the most about you." She wiped a tear that had rolled down her cheek from laughing so hard. While Katniss tried to school her features. "Oh, just breathe easy girl, I was just trying to gage your reaction. But I guess I went a little too far, I apologize..." She said before another round of laughter filled the air, this time more subdued. Katniss seemed to have lost her voice, so she said nothing. "Fine... I think I have terrorized you long enough, would you like a change of clothing? Or do you prefer to go ahead and meet the rest of your party?" Cashmere asked in a more serious tone.

"I am alright, my Lady..." Her voice quivered a little "I-I... I would like to see the Duke, if that is alright?" She asked tentatively, her eyes betrayed her pleading.

"That is quite alright, Miss Everdeen. I understand wanting to be close to your lover... just remember, you might have to stay as my guest for a few days. You will not be seeing His Grace as often... And... Another thing... We should keep everything we talked about, between the two of us." She said with those green menacing eyes, piercing her grey ones. Katniss did not plan on keeping this weird exchange with Cashmere hidden from Peeta. She did not care if she angered the Duchess, she would not keep secrets from him, especially about his wife and her... eccentricities. She hoped to God, he could secure that divorce, if only so she never had to do this ever again.

They made their way back to the Drawing Room, where she found the rest of her friends sitting uncomfortably. Peeta stood up as soon as he saw her enter the room, his face immediately frowning; he knew something had happened that bothered her greatly. She pursed her lips and shook her head imperceptibly to the rest of the company. He just clenched his jaw, but said nothing, other than greet them with a bow. All he had wanted since he saw her descend from the cart, was to kiss her breathless and hold her close to his chest, but, propriety dictated, the opposite... He had not hated etiquette and propriety so much before in his life.

Tea went torturously slow, conversation was awkward and short. Lady Trinket and Baron Odair were the only ones trying to be gracious guests, Katniss completely shut down from the uncomfortable environment. She felt embarrassed and humiliated, and hated being 'The Other Woman' with a burning passion; things only got worse when Cashmere insisted she took Katniss out into the garden, for some fresher air, the younger woman indeed was looking a little green, but it was for the sole reason, that she had been so overwhelmed and uncomfortable that she was making herself sick. She asked to please be left alone for a moment, but Cashmere was insistent on staying with her, until Peeta, held her by the elbow and pulled her forcibly away from Katniss. They left her alone, to sit on the small patio that oversaw the lifeless, frozen garden. She sighed and finally at peace her stomach settled once more.

"What the hell are you doing Cashmere?" Peeta growled angrily at his wife's face. "I want you to leave my woman the hell alone!" He hissed, tightening his already painful hold on her arm.

"First of all... Let go of me!" She spat. "Second, that little tart is the biggest investment I have ever made in my whole life, so excuse me if I am interested in keeping her safe, healthy and in tip-top condition! I have spent a small fortune on her already, and in case you do not know this, I have some legal claims on her as well! Her body is yours, but she is still my asset, so back off!" He had seen her this angry only once before... At Madge's wake. She had blamed the accident on him, and in turn he had blamed it on her, they had yelled at each other then. He did not dare touch her on that occasion, but right now... He was trying hard to restrain himself.

"She is just Coin to you? She is a person, Cashmere! Not property!" He yelled. "You cannot treat people like they are furniture, no matter who they are! No wonder people in this town hate you so much!" He screamed at her and saw her face harden.

"What do I care if a bunch of peasants hate me?" She retorted, "They are nobody in the big scheme of things!"

"You are so incredibly wrong... Those people you call peasants are the main artery in the heart of our kingdom, without them, there is no kingdom at all, no workers, no people, no nothing... If you oppress your people, or treat them poorly, then they will turn on you, and where will you be? Nowhere, that is where! Katniss is a person, a very smart, caring, brave person, just like most people that have the bad luck of working for you." After taking a deep breath he added, "the problem is that most aristocrats think the same way you do... We think we are better than others because of our wealth or our nobility titles... It is shameful and disgusting the way we treat our 'inferiors'. My father always said: ' **If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals'"**

Cashmere snorted.

  
"I never pegged you for the righteous type, dear husband." She smirked at him, "I can see it now, your grave stone..." She said with a grandiose gesture of the hands, "Here lies, Saint Peter Mellark, Champion of the Poor and Underprivileged!... It suits you! I will see to it, that the girl gets her tomb right next to yours!" Her comment was so full of malice and spite, he almost struck her face with the back of his hand.

She was lucky that Dame Mason chose that moment to arrive in the Duchess' house; she was escorting a very apprehensive seven year old, Posy Hawthorne. The girl looked just like a tiny version of what he imagined Katniss would have looked like at her age: two long, dark raven, braids, big grey shiny eyes, that were a little scared, but determined, and a vibrant life force behind her sweet little round face. And an adorable red and white checkered dress made the small girl looked like she had escaped a fairy tale.

He had not met little Posy during the few times he had visited the Hawthorne's residence, she was either already sleeping or at school, depending on the time of day (or night) he visited. He had met Gale's two younger brothers, sixteen year old Rory, who was a kind and gentle soul, and thirteen year old Vick, who was a smaller and an even more hot-headed version of Gale, except that he had a fast brain for numbers and math. Peeta had joked, saying he should become an accountant, and then took it back, declaring that he would probably end up scaring away his clients with his fast temper. So far, he was loving little Posy. He bowed at her, like a gentleman would do upon meeting a high society lady, he then kissed the top of her hand causing her to giggle.

At the giggle, Katniss looked up from her perch in the patio, and saw the newcomers; She had tried to block out all the screaming from the Duke and Duchess until now, she rushed to greet them with glee. Forgoing any type of decorum, she embraced Johanna and kissed her on both cheeks. Johanna was startled, but soon was laughing wholeheartedly. Then she picked up Posy in her arms and twirled her around, the girl giggling and yelping in delight. Seeing how Peeta’s face lit up, and his gaze was full of hope and longing, Cashmere approached him, and spoke very low so only he could hear.

"It is a handsome look on her... A child in her arms... Do you not agree?" She sighed, as if she was longing for it as much as him. "Imagine it... Fair hair instead of her dark locks, maybe your eyes... But, the smile, always _her_ smile! Mmm..." She got closer to him, and rose on her tip toes to whisper more directly into his ear "Get her pregnant! I know you want to!" He turned his face to look at her so fast; he would be having neck pains for a week.

"Shut the fuck up, Cashmere... She is a Concubine, it is illegal. Plus you, yourself have made sure she has conception preventive medicine. I will not give you reason to terminate her contract. I want her. And I will do anything to keep her, even write half my wealth over to you, if that is what you want... Just... Stay away from her!" She could not decide if he was more desperate or more angry, either way, he was loads of fun to torture.

"Oh, well... Let it be known, that I did give you my blessing!" He glared at her.

Katniss and Posy were in a corner of the patio trading secrets and giggles, blissfully unaware of the awful discussion between the Duke and Duchess, but Dame Mason's eyes had been attentive to her friend and his harpy of a wife. She knew Cashmere had said something to make him angry, she just hoped it would not boil over, spilling on the two little confidants. Finally, Katniss stood up and approached her masters, The Duchess smiled broadly at her, and the little girl clutched her hand like vice, Peeta just studied her eyes, he was not smiling, but he was not angry either; she introduced Posy to them,

"Madam, my Lord, may I introduce to you, little Miss Posy Hawthorne? She will be my designated companion during my stay in the Capitol." Posy made a bow and holding her skirts exaggeratedly she curtsied. Peeta offered,

"I have just met Miss Hawthorne! But, I will not lose this opportunity, to praise her beauty... You my little lady are adorable!" He said and taking her tiny hand, matched her bow and Posy blushed. Peeta felt his heart yearn for a little girl of his own; He was indeed imagining an exact replica of this little girl, down to the dress and black pea coat that covered it... For once in his life he found himself agreeing with Cashmere: He so wanted a little girl with Katniss' smile... Always with her Mother's smile.

Katniss had been smiling at him, she saw the emotion behind his blue eyes, and she felt the familiar anxious constriction in her chest that always came when the thought of bringing children to this awful world crossed her mind. She shook her head to dispel the idea, it was ludicrous, Peeta could not be actually thinking about having his own children just because he enjoyed talking to little Posy, ' _he just liked making little children happy, because he had a sad childhood and is compensating'._ She had entertained this same thought before, at their Yule Festival when he danced with Thresh's niece, Anneka. But the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at Posy, made her think he really was letting his mind run with ideas of miniature people that looked just like the two of them.

As she was getting more worked up thinking about it, something caught her attention. There had been a slight movement in one of the windows overlooking the small patio area. She discreetly turned her body in that general direction, and spied a... Person there... A Lady, judging by her finery... Not much older than herself, she wondered why she was looking so sad, and why would she not join the rest of them out there? The Baron, The Earl and Lady Trinket had joined them as soon as Dame Mason arrived. She he had no idea who the maid was, but it strikes her as odd she would try to hide and stare at them as if she was clearly interested in studying them. The lady let the curtain fall against the window pane and was completely gone from view.

"My Lords Mellark and Odair, His Majesty the King, has granted you audience, and is awaiting both of you in Court in no less than an hour. I suggest you make your way to the Palace at once, it will not do for you to be tardy." Dame Mason said bringing Katniss back into the conversation they had all been having. Both Lady Trinket and Lord Abernathy had been quite entertained asking all kinds of questions to a now very talkative Posy, oddly enough it had been Haymitch that had gotten the little girl to talk, as he offered her a small bag of lemon drops that she eagerly accepted. The old man seemed to actually be smiling.

Peeta and Finnick said their goodbyes and left for the Palace, Haymitch had business to attend to in the Capitol as well, so he departed soon after. Although Katniss was convinced he had made up the story about his supposed business, because he wanted out of the Duchess's house; Cashmere acted strangely around Haymitch, she noticed, almost like she was striving to please him all the time, she made a point to tell everyone how she had secured the Earl's favorite tea, a rare blend of Jasmine and Black tea, that only this one company from far away produced. Haymitch had looked incredibly perturbed by the comment and although he did take 3 cups of the beverage, he did not acknowledge the Duchess's claim. Katniss really did not understand the dynamics of this cluster of people.

The Duchess suggested Katniss took a rest, while she and Lady Trinket held an amiable conversation, Effie disliked the woman to no end, but, niceties had to be observed. The only physical interaction she had had with Peeta had been when he managed to kiss her on the forehead before leaving, her nerves were frayed and she felt a big heavy weight at the bottom of her stomach, trying to understand the goings on of these people was truly eating at her. The worst of it was the not knowing of why was she there at all, what did the King want with her? Another set of thoughts entered her mind, ' _What if the King decided they had no legal standing regarding the demand that she was returned to Peeta right away? Would she be allowed to see him at all?’_ Johanna threw a pillow at her from one of the many pillows piled on the off white love-seat in Katniss designated chamber, and she looked up angrily at her friend.

"What the...?" She stopped mid-sentence when she realized there was a pair of big grey eyes staring at her questioningly.

"Miss Posy just asked you a question, you brainless!" Johanna said with one eyebrow raised. "If your attention were here instead of at the Palace, maybe I would not have to resort to useing you as target practice!"

Katniss glared at her, then directed her words at Posy in her kindest tone, "I am truly sorry, Posy dear. Would you mind repeating your question to me?" She smiled and the little girl smiled back happily.

"I said, do you like my brand new dress? Momma said it was a gift from Gale's good friend the Duke! I do not know the Duke, but I think momma likes him very much, she said that he was handsome and polite... Vick said that he hated the Duke at first, because he stole you away from us, but now he likes him too because he tells the best stories about dragons and knights!" The girl was out of breath for speaking so fast, she took a deep breath and kept on talking without pause, "I hope next time he comes around the house I can finally meet him, and I hope he has stories about Princesses as well as Knights! So... Are you the Duke's sweetheart? Momma says you live with him in his big mansion, does he have swans? I asked Gale to take me to the lake to see the swans, but he was too busy at the Palace... That is where he works, at the Palace. Have you ever been there? It is big! I went there with Momma to bring Gale his lunch one day... Did you know that Gale is Captain of the Knights?" She finally stopped her spiel, and Katniss laughed, Johanna smiled looking at the girl with something akin to longing, Katniss made a mental note to grill her friend about it later.

"Well Posy, let us see if I can remember all those questions... Oh! I know! I am aware Gale is Captain of the Knights, and I am proud of him. I have been to the Palace when I was little. Mmm, Well, I have to tell you, that you did just meet the Duke... that nice man with blond hair and pretty blue eyes, remember?" The girl's eyes widened.

"That was him?" She whispered in amazement, "No wonder Mommy likes him! He is nice; he even bowed to me, like I was a lady." She said so quietly it was hard to hear it, her little shoulders slumped. "I tried to tell him that I was no lady, and he said that of course I was, I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but then momma would have been cross with me, for being impolite."

"Oh, heavens! Why would you ever want to be a lady?" Johanna jumped in dramatically, "I used to be one! It was terribly boring! I never got to have fun with my brothers or friends, I always had to be sitting straight, and reading or crocheting something." She said almost like she was telling her an exaggerated secret. Posy gasped,

"And what did you do?"

"I became a Knight! Now I get to do all kinds of fun things, and take care of important people that I care a lot about, because it is important to protect your younger siblings... That is why Captain Gale is always so busy, and could not take you to see the swans. He is busy, trying to protect you, your momma and your brothers so you can be happy." Posy's eyes were intent on Dame Mason, she studied her uniform, as if she had just realized who she was. And maybe that was the case, as she timidly asked,

"Are you really Dame Mason? The bravest maid in all the land?" Her voice small and sweet, Johanna's smile was broad and happy.

"I do not know about being the bravest of the land, but I am Dame Johanna Mason, only girl Knight in Panem!" She smiled a little bigger, "But you my little friend can call me Johanna all the time!" The little girl beamed at her, then turned to see Katniss sporting her own smile,

"Katniss! I am Dame Mason's friend!" She giggled. And looked at Johanna again, getting serious, she extended her arm to shake hands with the woman, clearing her throat she said, "I would like that Johanna... And you can call me Posy!" Johanna followed suit, and cleared her throat and put on her serious face as she shook hands with Posy.

"Then friends we are, Posy! Friends we are!" ' _If it was this easy to gain her Captain's friendship, she would be golden!'_

 

=========================

 

It was close to 5:30 in the afternoon when Peeta returned to Cashmere's chateau. He was alone. The half emptied luggage cart was re-loaded with Lady Trinket's trunk, and the one suitcase little Posy had brought with her. At Cashmere's insistence, Katniss had taken a bath, done her hair and applied a thin layer of makeup on her face. Katniss had a choice of wearing her own wardrobe she had brought from Merch, or chose anything from Cashmere's extensive collection of gowns. she had opted to don her new burnt orange dress she had just commission from Mr Cinna. The problem was that she had to dig for it in her own traveling trunk, which she was now repacking as fast as she could.

Peeta, of course, had been successful in proving his Concubine was legally bound to his bed, in his house, so she had been order to return to her Master's side at once. Her Mistress did not seem too broken up about it at all, she actually seem a little relieved.

Katniss left her chambers, and reached the Sitting room where she knew Peeta and the rest of their company awaited. She was walking down the corridor to the stairs that lead to her destination when she saw the same Lady she had spotted at the window earlier, she was coming out of a door, and her blue eyes widen as she saw Katniss as if spooked, she quickly returned to the room she just left and slammed the door behind her. ' _Could this trip get any weirder?'_

The sight that greeted her as she entered the sitting room made her eyes burn in anger, Cashmere was sitting very close to Peeta, leaning her enormous bosom against his chest, she was almost sitting on his lap, and she was talking so incredibly close to his face, one more inch and their lips would be touching. Katniss could not hear what the woman was saying, for her own ears where filled with the rushing of blood, and then she saw his eyes, right before he grabbed his wife by the shoulders and shoved her away from him with disdain, his eyes were furious, but that did not do much to pacify her flames.

"I swear to God Cashmere, I will relish the day I never have to be near you again!" He said through gritted teeth. She laughed, loudly and mockingly.

"Then we agree my dear husband!" Was her response.

Katniss cleared her throat loudly, as to announce herself. "My Lady, My Lord..." She curtsied.

"Katniss!" Peeta stood up nervously right away, almost as if he had been caught doing something wrong, the movement practically knocking Cashmere off of her perch. "Um... Miss... Everdeen..." He corrected right away.

"May I inquire where the rest of our company may be, Sir?" She asked schooling her features into indifference, it was eerie how much like her mother she could be, the notion made Peeta shudder.

"I-I... I sent them ahead of us to Victor's Village, so they could wash up for supper... You- um... You are acquainted with Lady Trinket's customs" He said weakly. Cashmere was actually astonished at how flustered the man got just with the rise of a brow from the girl with the braid, the mighty woodsman really was a whipped man! "Dame Mason escorted both Lady Trinket and Miss Hawthorne; the Baron and the Earl had business to attend of their own while here, and they would make their way to meet us at the Village before dinner. I hope that is alright with you, ma'am!"

"Of course, my Lord; as always, your decision to send the Ladies ahead, has been the right one." She affirmed, and Peeta nodded, gaining back his composure. "My belongings have been packed away... There is one small issue with the trunk lock that will require the help of my Lord to be solved, if you so kindly could follow me." She said still wearing her mask of calm politeness.

"Well, we can have one of my employees take a look, there is no reason for His Grace to be incommoded" Said the Duchess with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"I am sorry to be so stubborn my Lady, but seeing as His Grace just acquired the trunks, I think it is important that he assess the issue for himself so he may rightly demand repairs from the person who made it and sold it to him... Is it not _that,_ what my Lord has always said about damaged goods? To be informed immediately about any problems?" She spoke as if the topic bored her, but as Peeta had not bought the trunk in question (she did it herself, and he was well aware of that fact) and he has never said anything of the sort concerning recently bought items, he knew she wanted to be alone with him for a moment, and by the way her grey eyes swirled, he could tell she was angry.

"That is absolutely right! It is my policy to take note of any details, small or big, so I know what am I working with. Lead the way Miss Everdeen... Err... My Lady Cashmere, it will not be necessary for you to accompany us, I will probably just bring the trunk down myself." With that they left the room, Cashmere only saw a flicker of annoyance in the younger woman's face before she turned around. She was not sure what that was about, but she knew it would not be pleasant for her husband and that made her smile gleefully.

Katniss opened the door to the chamber she was now vacating, "Right this way my Lord."

As soon as Peeta had walked into the chamber, and closed the door behind him, she had turned on her heel, and with both hands pressed on his chest, she had shoved him against the door with all the force she could muster. He was a little startled by the sudden movement, and had no time to react before she removed her hands from his chest and started working his belt buckle with swiftness and determination.

"Katniss... What are you...?" He tried to take a step forward, but she just smacked his chest with one open hand and he fell back against the door again, with her free hand she was now undoing his trouser buttons,

"You are mine! You belong to me, your member and the rest of your body belongs to me! Not to that witch!" She was now undoing the cords of his underpants. His eyes were staring and wide, his mouth had gone dry and his shaft was ready to do whatever bidding Katniss had for it, because she was one hundred percent right, his body, especially his member belonged to her, and no one else. "Say it Peeta! Say you are mine!" She demanded his throbbing manhood snuggled in her fist.

"I... I am completely and utterly yours Katniss, always and forever." His affirmation was breathy and strangled, he was frozen with sensations. She had never been even remotely this brazen before, he was always the instigator and she just went along with him, but this, now, his mind was too muddled to define it or react.

"And who's cunt would you rather fuck? In which cavern do you want to sheath yourself?" She demanded again right into his ear, her voice was gruff and not at all her usual sweet. He swallowed thickly and felt his cock swell more in her hand which was just merely holding it tightly.

"Yours Katniss... All I ever want around me is your tight, sweet, delicious womanhood!... Oh... Fuck!" He closed his eyes tightly as she pumped his erection fast.

"Open your eyes Peeta, I want you to watch." She whispered, and he complied.

She dropped to her knees and looked up into his wide blue eyes and with quivering open lips, she said "You are mine, and I do not share. May you never forget that... My Lord" without warning she took him into her warm mouth, and he whimpered pathetically. His hands were glued to the surface of the door behind him, his body was not responding to his brain’s directions, it was like his dick was in command, and at the moment it just wanted to stay rooted right there, and let his woman take charge.

She really had no idea of how to go about doing this, but by golly, she was going to make him release his seed with her mouth and hands. And by the way he was struggling to breathe; she knew he was having a very good time.

She looked up at him, and his breath hitched, she wrapped her hand around his base as it did not fit into her mouth, and started to pump as her head bobbed up and down in tandem.

He found his voice, "Oh Katniss... Fuck... Yes..." He tried to touch her face, but she slapped his hand away and released him from her mouth him with a pop.

"Hands to yourself, sir. Eyes on me!" He nodded. And she resumed her quick attack, he started squirming and breathing raggedly, he whimpered his words more than speaking them.

"Fuck, Katniss... I will not take much longer... Please... Move away or... I'll... Ugh... Katniss, baby..." He tried to hold her head, but she slapped his hand away again, and without letting him out of her mouth, she warned him,

"Not touching... I'll stop and leave you like this!" She dared him do anything with her gaze, at that he just let his hand fall limply at his side, and whined quietly,

  
"No, please, finish me off, I beg of you!" She obliged. Soon he was gasping and squirming once more, he did not dare touch her again, so he simply opened and closed his fists besides his legs.

She knew, by Johanna's vivid explanations, a woman could do any kinds of tricks with her tongue while doing this to a man, but as this was her first time doing it all she did was suck him hard and fast, and move her head up and down his long shaft helped by her hand. Remembering another tidbit of unwanted advice from her friend she took her free hand and held and massaged his testicles; his body responded in a second.

"Shit... I'm... Oh God... Kat- Katniiiisssss... Aaaah... Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuuugh...!" His head hit the door with a soft thud, and his whole body twitched.

She had not expected the sheer amount of substance that was released in her mouth, she tried to swallow what she could, but the shock of the taste was hard to get over. She did not know what she expected his seed to taste like, but never in a million years she expected it to have a bitter after taste. There was residue leaking out the corners of her mouth, he was still pulsing into her, and gasping out of breath. She reached under her skirts for her petticoat and pulled it to her chin To wipe off the mess. He was still heaving breathing erratically, holding on to the door knob for dear life, his knuckles white with the exertion.

She pulled his member out of her mouth, wiped herself cleaned from him, and stood up, as if nothing had transpired in the last 5 minutes. She knew it was not going to take long to bring him to completion, she knew his reactions by heart now. She smirked at him, when his incredulous blue eyes found hers, his mouth was still hanging open, but no words came out. So, she spoke nonchalantly.

"Trunk is ready to be brought into the cart. I will be waiting for you downstairs. Do not delay... babe..." ' _Babe? She had never called him anything other than_ Peeta _or in very seldom occasions:_ sweetie _, not even in the middle of the throes of pleasure had she gave him a pet name_ ' he saw her look at her reflection in the small mirror, and smirk at him. As she was leaving the chamber she whispered so very close to his lips, not quite touching them. "I cannot wait for our ten minute carriage ride to Victor's Village... I think I will enjoy it very much." Now his jaw completely fell to the floor, ' _What did she mean by that?_ '. She closed the door behind herself and left him there alone, still hanging out of his pants, and already throbbing for more.

When he finally made it to the Sitting Room, he was red in the face, and looking a little flustered, but since Katniss was looking fresh and put together, Cashmere just merely commented that he did not have to move the trunk himself. That she had servants for that very reason, he just waved her off, he was too worked up and this manual labor was actually helping him settle down some.

"My Lord, while you were upstairs doing peasants work, I have received the official summons to meet with the King. We are to present ourselves, tomorrow at two o'clock, in His Majesty's private study at the Palace. The letter also states, that we are to bring Miss Everdeen with us, and no one else." The Duchess looked a little uncomfortable as she related the contents of the letter she was clutching in her fist, bearing the Royal Seal on it. Peeta extended his hand to take the letter from her, he was not sure he would get his own notice.

It did say as much as Cashmere said, it also mentioned that Prince Cato and Lady Crane would be attending, so he figured that was the source of her discomfort. He only nodded.

"Would you like me to come collect you, or should you arrive to the Palace on your own, my Lady?" He asked politely.

"It would be best if we each have our own ways to return to our places separately. I... I might have other business to attend at Court afterwards." She said veering her gaze somewhere else.

"As you wish, then. Miss Everdeen, if you have all your belongings gathered, please let us make haste. I still need to introduce you to my staff at Victor's Village before supper is served." Katniss nodded wordlessly, then turned and curtsied to the Duchess, and left. "My Lady. See you tomorrow at two." He bowed, Cashmere curtsied to him, and followed him out.

Once in the carriage, they waved to her, and sighed in relief, hoping to never have to set foot in that house again.

As the coach left the small courtyard, Katniss pulled the little curtains of the tiny windows of the carriage closed. Peeta looked at her nervously, she started talking, not even looking at him as she worked on the curtains.

"I told the driver to go the long way around town, it will be crowded, and it will give us at least 12 minutes to Victor's Village. If you behave yourself, I will allow you some pleasure." He was flabbergasted by her confidence and her brazenness. ' _Where was his shy little Concubine that would blush at just one small glance?'_

She then sat in the padded bench across from him, bending over, she grasped the hem of her skirts and lifted them up all the way to her midsection. His eyes were as big as saucers, she was only wearing woolen stockings under her dress, and also most of her dark curls at the apex of her thighs were gone. Just a small patch was left at the very top, his mouth watered at the sight; he tried to reach out a hand towards her, but quick as lighting, her foot pinned his arm to the back of the bench where he was sitting.

"No touching, remember? You have to be a good little Duke, and just watch, if you want to play later on... Do we have an accord?" He reared his eyes from her womanhood, to look at her no nonsense expression.

"As you command, my Lady" he said softly. He leaned back into his seat, and watched in awe as she placed her feet at either side of his legs on the edge of his bench, her legs were slightly bent at the knees, and were spread as wide as they could go. She started to slowly let her fingers stroll down her flat lower belly, then tantalizingly run up and down her inner thighs. He could see she was already glistening with moisture, he was sure that soon he would also be able to smell her, his manhood was hard as rock, and his hand twitched, she noticed and warned.

"The no touching includes yourself, my dear... I want you just like that."

"For-for how long, ma'am?" He whined.

"We will see... You could have had me at any time you wanted back at the Witch's... I have been wearing nothing under my clothing all day, just as you asked when you left Merch." Her fingers were lazily playing with her pubic hair.

"Shit! It would have been impossible... I-I had no idea you were nude under there, and Cashmere was like a fucking hound dog after a fox everywhere I went... Fuck... I have missed you so much Katniss... Please let me taste you..."

"No... Not right now. Right now, You are being punished, for letting that bitch put her hands on you, and call you husband in front of me. I am showing you, that you are mine and that this..." She plunged two fingers inside herself, and both of them moaned at the same time. "This is where your cock belongs, deep inside of my wetness." She took her fingers out of her, and brought them to his lips, his mouth opened up automatically and his tongue darted out, liking her dry, "Do you like that, sweetie?" She asked sensuously.

"I love it... More please!" He begged.

"After I have reached my release, you can have all the residue you want... For now... Just watch me pleased myself." She burrowed backwards, into the bench and started to rubbed circles on her clitoris, her free hand came to squeeze her breast, and soon she was panting and heaving. His eyes were greedily fixed on her hands. The road outside was bumpy gravel, they were leaving the paved streets, and coming into the cobblestone parts, where the well-to-do and Nobility lived, so she only had about 5 minutes. She spread her legs wider and moved her hands faster, she started shaking uncontrollably, and yelled at him,

"I need your mouth, now!" He obliged, and drank every last drop she gave him. He was careful not to touch her with his hands at all.

She pulled his head up to her face roughly by his hair, and whispered frantically inches away from his face "Peeta... I want you to fuck me, hard and fast. No slow and sweet lovemaking, I want a hard fuck, so hard, I cannot walk upright tomorrow, do you understand?" He nodded mutely. And she kissed him on the mouth, licking herself off of his lips. She loved the taste of herself on him, ' _maybe it would taste even better on his member, she would try that tonight for sure'_.

The driver announced they were approaching Victor's Village by tapping the roof of the coach, and she pushed him away from her, she righted her clothing, and he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to bring them back to order. She opened the curtains, and they saw the gathering of his staff awaiting them to leave the coach. He practically jumped out of the cabin, while the carriage was still moving. He apologized to everyone profusely, and said that he had very important, business to discuss with his companion. That he would make official introductions right before dinner, and told a woman named Mrs. Seeder he did not wanted to be disturbed until it was supper time. Katniss ran to little Posy, while Peeta was talking, she quietly explained that she and the Duke had important matters to discuss that could not wait until later, and that she would see her in a few minutes. The little girl looked at the Duke curiously and nodded, then held Johanna's hand. Johanna just pursed her lips to try and not laugh, but said nothing.

As soon as she had come to stand next to him, he took her hand in his and rushed into the house. They went up a beautiful flight of stairs, he was almost running, while she was having to jog behind him to keep up with his pace. He fumbled with the door knob to a beautifully ornate set of double doors, finally turning it open, he pulled her roughly inside the chamber with him, and slammed the door shut, turned the lock, and slammed her against the door, just like she had done to him earlier. He kissed her immediately, a hard, bruising kiss that stole all her breath away.

He brought his hands to her back remembering he had noticed this dress was tied up instead of buttoned up. He was surprised to find that the cords had been already loosened, he smiled against her lips, and murmured,

"Did you miss my bed Miss Everdeen?" His voice was velvety and dangerous, just like it always was when entering his predatory mode.

"Not your bed, my Lord... Your cock" she said squeezing him through his pants, he grunted as if in pain, his forehead hit the door in front of him. She took it as permission to get his pants off, so she did. He did not idle for long, he pulled her dress off her chest right away, and dropped to his knees to kiss, suck and bite her breasts. He was being rough, more than usual, but she liked it, so she kept moaning her approval.

She stepped out of her dress, but made him pick it up and place it somewhere so it would not wrinkle.

"Do not take you shirts and jacket off, it would take too long for you to put them back on" she instructed him, pushing him off, and walking to the big ornate bed in the middle of the room. It was not like their four poster bed back in Merch, this one was more on the fancy side, but then, the little she had seen of the house it was all fancier than Winter Home. She climbed in the bed slowly, she sat on her side, and let her hand run the length of her soft, naked body, she gestured with her finger for him to come to her, when his knee landed on the mattress, she turned around, and scooted closer to him, knees and hands firmly planted on the bed, she wiggled her behind to him, and he cursed loudly.

"Fuck me Peeta!" She said, her head leaning backwards, seeking his eyes. At this angle, her chest was partially visible, her nipples were erect and hard, and he did not hesitate in reaching around for one of them,

"Are you sure, that this is what you want, Katniss? I have... I have never just _fucked_ you before, every time we have come together it has always meant something, and I have always striven to be gentle and loving." He said softly into her ear, while caressing her legs and buttocks.

"Fuck... Me..." She repeated, and pushed against his hips, he growled and grabbed her hips to stop her.

"Fine!" His hand wrapped around her jaw and lifted her face to his, biting the shell of her ear he rammed into her wetness, she half gasped, and half yelp, "I will fuck you. I will make you beg for me to slow down. I will take you hard. repeatedly. Until you slump. Boneless on this bed." With every sentenced he would completely leave her body, to plunge hard into her again, every time he did, she would make the same strangled yelping noise, it was driving him to insanity. "You want assurance of my fidelity to you? I will give it... I will show you... The only pussy I ever want is yours... The only woman I want to fuck is you, and God how have I wanted to fuck you senseless... I am going to fuck your beautiful little mouth once more before the night is over, I did not know that you could suck that amazingly, if I had known that, I would have done it every day since we started sleeping together."

Her moans were getting too loud, Victor's Village was not like Winter Home, in that the chambers were spread far apart and it did not matter how noisy she became. Here he needed her to be quiet, so he put a hand over her mouth. The effect this had on her was instant, her moans intensified, and he was at a loss for words, this was possibly the sexiest sexual session they had ever had. She was trembling under him, her head was tilted back, pressed against his shoulder, and his body covering hers, touching every single inch of each other's skins that was exposed. He was thrusting fast and hard, but in a moment when he completely pulled out of her, she changed the angle of her rear, the next time her entered her, in was into a different orifice. Her animalistic noise, that his hand could not prevent from coming out, was a dead giveaway, that he was indeed in the wrong cavern, not to mention the feel of it around his shaft, it was impossibly tight and even a bit constricting. It was a wonder he got to sheath himself all the way to the hilt in one swoop, he freaked out, and tried to pull away, but, her hand slapped his bottom cheek, and her nails dug into his flesh, she shook his hand away from her mouth, and said between heavy breaths,

"No!" Her voice was shaky, "I told you to fuck me... This is part of it! So, Fuck me!" Voice shrill and breathy at the same time. She leaned forward slowly and without warning, slammed back into him, it was his time to yelp and gasp and moan all the same time. "Fuck me until you are about to spill... Then fuck my vagina, and finish there... I want your seed there!" Her voice sounded raw and unsteady, very unlike her normal cadence, but he knew she was serious, so he just clenched his jaw, and drove into her once more. This was a little too much for him, he was almost done. He slowed down, he let his forehead rest on her sweaty shoulder, and brought a hand around her, to touch her in her pleasure point.

"I am about done, sweetheart... I need you to be done with me... I want to feel your muscles contract around me while am letting go, so tell me when you are near, baby girl" he said against her spine, where he was sucking her salty sweaty skin.

"Alright" she breathed out.

They were both so close, and she started to tense up. "Now..." She cried, he quickly pulled out of her and with a handkerchief he had fished out of his shirt pocket held the base of his member, he wiped it off as he pulled away from her. Then quickly without losing any time at all, he rammed back into her front entrance, and started pumping in and out faster, his hand pressing down onto her nub, a moment later, she buried her face into a pillow and screamed. As she clenched her walls around him, he spilled his own release. They both fell forward, barely breathing, he rolled to the side, and with an arm around her middle, pulled her to him. How he wished to tell her that he loved her, loved her above anything in the world. But he just kissed her neck, and spoke quietly.

"Babe... I hope you got whatever this was out of your system; it is not that I did not enjoy this... New... Phase in our physical relationship. It is just, that I do not like to feel like I am missing something important, and I want to feel included in your... Moods... Does that make sense? Do not get me wrong, I am all for spontaneity, but, taking me into your mouth, which by the way, was mind blowing amazing; and then the whole thing in the carriage, while going through the very busy streets of the Capitol, was very risky. What would you have done if some crazy lunatic had jumped on the coach and got the doors opened or something? We have never been that... Brazen... That, irresponsible... I mean... Once again, it was amazing, I loved every second of it, it was the best sex we have ever have, but..." He stopped talking, she was... Snoring, very quietly. He just twisted his mouth in annoyance, and shook his head in disbelief, he wondered when exactly did she fell asleep, if she even heard a word he had said to her. He sighed in resignation, and held her tighter to him; he nuzzled her neck, and since she could do nothing to stop him right then, he whispered the words he was dying to say.

"I love you Katniss... With all my heart"

 

=========================

 

Supper had been a subdued event; as promised, a put together, but very tired looking Katniss was introduced to the ten or so employees housed in Victor's Village. Mrs. Seeder, a handsome, tall and solid built woman, in her early forties, was the main housekeeper and her brother Mr. Chaff seemed to be the footman, they had no butler here.

Haymitch seemed very chummy with Mr. Chaff, and as it turned out, they were childhood friends. As usual, the Earl could care less about the social status of his friend, so he had been bugging Peeta all night to give Chaff the day off the next day, so they could go to the local pub and... Reacquaint themselves with their flasks. Peeta gave in, finally, and a very smug looking Haymitch bid everyone a good night, as he put his coat on and jabbed Chaff on his side to make him haste.

Finnick said his good nights after supper, and told Peeta he would be returning home to Quattro the next morning if his presence was not required at the audience with the King. He was eager to go back to his wife and newborn son. They all understood. Katniss embraced him timidly, she had never hugged a man that was not Peeta, or Haymitch or Gale when they were very young, but Haymitch did not count, he was more like an uncle to her, he had been after all, married to Maysilee Donner, her Mother's first cousin, he was the only relation she knew. She figured it was alright to show some affection towards the Baron, he was Peeta's most beloved friend, and he had just fixed her lodging arrangements, plus he left his wife and baby to do that for her, the least she could do was give him a hug. They smiled at each other, and he cupped her cheek affectionately, like an older brother.

"Everything will be alright Miss Katniss... But in case you get nervous..." He produced a length of silk rope, like the kind used in naval vessels, "Tiding knots is always calming for me... I will show you a few knots, and... Well... You can practice them if you feel nervous?" He said encouragingly. _**"The more you can distract yourself, the better," he says. "First thing tomorrow, we will get you your own rope. Until then, take mine"**_

"Thank you. I appreciate that!"

When morning came, everyone was sitting at the breakfast table, except for Dame Mason, who had decided to report back to Captain Hawthorne, and let him know that Katniss was delivered to the Duke's without incident and that his little sister would remain at Victor's Village until dinner that night as all the Hawthorns have been invited for supper by the Duke himself. Unlike, back in Winter Home, where Katniss was Lady of the house, in the Capitol she was but only a companion. She had no say over any of the Help in the house, although they were all very polite and accommodating, and they did call her Lady Katniss as requested by their Master, nothing else was special, not that they would take orders from Cashmere at all if she ever set foot in their midst either.

None of his Help, whether in Merch, or any other place, _especially_ the Capitol had any love for the Duchess; she was always viewed as a 'No good-cheating-gold digger-she devil-that was baaaaad news' as old woman Tigris, the launderer, had described her to Katniss as she was embracing the maid saying that she was happy to finally meet her. She then went on to tell her, she had heard good things about the young Concubine. Apparently, Tigris loved Peeta as a grandchild; she had been doing the Mellark family's laundry for generations, she had been hired as a very young maiden, by his great grandmother, when his grandfather Mellark was Duke. She had always lived in the Capitol, and unlike Old Sae, who also had been in the Mellark's employment for at least two generations, Tigris decided to stay in Victor's Village as permanent resident, and not follow the young Duke wherever he went like Sae did.

The old woman, liked Katniss because she had heard, she honestly cared for her 'Cherub' as Tigris called Peeta, and she had heard that she was always attentive, and nice to him, and that she was devoted to him and his house. She patted the young woman's cheek, and said she was happy her boy finally found a maid he deserved. Katniss of course, blushed and tried to shyly wave off her praises, this only endeared her more to the old woman.

Soon, it was time to see Finnick leave for his own home. Peeta was visibly disappointed, until Katniss asked the Baron, if it would be alright to stop by Sea Breeze, his house, on their way back to Merch. Finnick agreed instantly, and thus it was set, they would come spend a couple of days with Baron Odair and his family, once their business was done.

After Lord Odair's departure, Lord Abernathy and Lady Trinket decided they too should return to District Twelve. They saw no need to stay in the Capitol if they were not absolutely needed there. Lady Trinket considered that Lady Katniss did not need chaperoning anymore; She, like Mrs. Everdeen, was such a woman who realized what the shorter length of hair in a young woman meant, so there was no reason for her to keep protecting a maiden's innocence that was already lost. It was agreed that the Earl would escort Lady Trinket in the coach back to Winter Home, while Peeta had the motorized vehicle and had gotten acceptably proficient at driving it, he felt confident he could make it back home in it. They were set to return to Winter Home the next morning, as both of them still wanted to know what business did the King had with Katniss.

As time for their appointment with the King drew near their anxiety became overwhelming. Katniss started practicing her knots using the length of rope the Baron had given her. She did not find the effect as calming as he claimed, but it kept her mind occupied otherwise. She did not hear the small steps of a child, shyly stalking her from the hall.

"Katniss? Would you like to see the new dolly Uncle Haymitch just gave me?" The little voice of Posy spoke behind her; she let the rope drop on her lap, and turned to the little girl who was indeed crushing to her chest a very fancy looking porcelain doll.

"Oh! That is a beautiful doll, Posy!" said Katniss with real surprise. "Uncle Haymitch..." She shook her head and smiled ruefully "Is very generous man! I hope you thanked him for such a nice gift, Hazelle would be very crossed if you did not mind your manners!" She said in a soft but serious tone.

"I was very polite and grateful! I gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek! That made Auntie Effie smile very big! She gave me new hair ribbons! Look!" She said excitedly as she shook her head from side to side, trying to show her the blue bows at the end of her twin braids, the ribbons matched her pretty powder blue dress perfectly.

"Those are beautiful as well!" She said and reached to pull the girl into a tight hug. "You look terribly adorable, you know that?... It makes all the adults dote on you!" She kissed the girl's head and then rested her cheek on the crown of her head. She sighed contently. She remembered playing dolls with Prim until the day they were too hungry and cold to play like carefree little girls anymore, and they had to grow up abruptly. She had tried to shield her sister from that, but in the end, Prim too had to become a big maid prematurely. She surely missed having Posy around, in all honesty, she missed all of the Hawthornes, and she was very grateful Peeta had invited them for supper.

It felt like only a few minutes had passed, when they got their play time interrupted, Posy was a more effective as a distraction than anything else.

"Lady Katniss, His Grace sent me to collect you. Dame Mason and Captain Hawthorne have arrived to escort you to the Palace." Said Mrs. Seeder from the doorway to the small library, where Katniss and Posy had been playing dolls for the last twenty minutes, she could not believe it was time already. Posy squealed in delight at the sound of her brother's name, and quickly stood up clutching her new doll in one arm, and pulling Katniss up with the other.

"Posy!" Katniss admonished, "Little proper ladies do not scream! We just, promptly and quietly make our way to see our visitors. Now, give me your hand, we will go see Gale and Johanna!" She said holding back a smile. The girl looked contrite, but obeyed; she seriously wanted to make Katniss proud of her.

"Gale!" Posy exploded with delight as soon as she saw her big brother standing in the middle of the pristine granite floor of the Duke's foyer. She lunged herself into the knight's arms, and he picked her up and threw her up in the air, laughing merrily.

"Who is this adorable little Lady? She reminds me of somebody?" He said putting her back on the floor.

"It is me, Posy! I am your sister, silly!" She laughed, and squealed again when her big brother got to his knee and started tickling her tummy. Katniss and Johanna gravitated to each other, trying to not intrude in the Hawthorne siblings moment, who knew when was the last time Gale had been able to just embraced his baby sister.

"I knew I recognized you under that pretty gown! Miss Posy!" Slowly Gale stood up and gave Katniss a shy smile.

"Hi there Catnip..." He said quietly, and then she felt all her fears and worries rush back to her, she ran to her best friend and threw herself into his arms just like Posy had done, except they stayed stationary, she cried into her friend's chest.

"I am... So, sorry... I have been... Angry at you, all this time... For not understanding... Supporting me... You are my best friend, and I have felt like, we could never fix our friendship again..." She mumbled between sobs. ' _The stress most be really getting to her, she has never been this emotional before, she certainly had never cried like this in front Gale before!'_

"Shhhs... It is alright Catnip, I was angry as well, and I did not understand, I still do not completely... But, I am here now, everything will be alright! I promise!" He soothed.

"How do you know? We have not the foggiest idea why the King wants to see me... Me! A Nobody!" She shrilled.

"Oh my sweet, Brainless! You are somebody! You are Katniss Everdeen! Eldest daughter of Mr. Everdeen, the greatest hunter in Panem! His aim and prowess with a bow earned him a position in the palace that..."

"Mason! Enough!... Miss Everdeen knows who her father was, there is no need..." Katniss pushed away from her friend's embrace, his face was hard as he looked at Johanna. She then looked at Johanna, who merely shrugged.

"I think she needs to know... I have said it to His Grace, as well as you my Captain... You are both being stubborn, old man Abernathy agrees with me!"

"What are you talking about?" Katniss asked suspiciously, looking from one friend to the other, they both seem to be playing some kind of game of wills. Gale as usual was exuding anger, while Johanna was nonchalantly being defiant.

Before any response could be spoken, Peeta's heavy footsteps echoed throughout the granite floors covering the main floor of the small mansion. He had been closer than Katniss thought, for he entered the foyer a moment later, and immediately noticed the almost hostile mood in the small space.

"What is going on here? Why is Katniss crying?" He asked Johanna directly, but it was Posy hiding in the corner the one to answer.

"Katniss was sad because she and Gale where sore with each other, and then Dame Mason said something about her daddy, and Gale got vexed at Dame Mason... I do not like it when people argue..." The girl said with quivering lips and eyes full of unshed tears. Peeta's face hardend, first at Gale, then he turned to Johanna and gave her an accusing look, but at Posy's last words, he softend. He looked at the little seven year old child, and his heart twisted uncomfortably in his chest, there was no reason at all why any kid, should be caught in the middle of their issues.

"Sir Gale, you may want to reassure little Miss Hawthorne, that everything is alright, that none of us are really angry at each other, and that everyone will be right as rain in minute while she have a snack of cake and tea with Lady Trinket." He said softly to the knight, who just now seemed to realize his sister had been there the whole time.

"Yes, my Lord. I... Appreciate it." He then turned to Posy. "Come now my dear; let us go sit together for a moment!" He said in a very sweet voice. Peeta called Mrs Seeder, to take Gale and Posy to the sitting room and provide the little girl with sweets, as she gushed about her new doll. Gale was to deposit his sister in Lady Trinket's care for the remainder of the afternoon, until his family came for supper.

"We will talk later!" He muttered to Johanna.

"What is going on, Peeta?" Katniss demanded, he just gave her a serious look that told her whatever he would say next was not up to discussion.

"I said, we will talk later! Once Captain Hawthorne sorts Miss Hawthorne's situation, we will depart to the Palace. We will have time to discuss conspiracy theories later, one thing to worry about at the time would be wise." With that he proceeded to leave the foyer and out into the frigid courtyard where the coach and the Knights' horses awaited.

Katniss looked at Johanna pleadingly, and all she got for answer was the unhappy glare of her friend.

"Believe me Brainless... I want to tell you everything I know, but Peter wants to do it after he figures out what his crazy uncle wants. Come, it will not do to delay. Captain Hawthorne will be out in a second."

 

=========================

 

The ride to the palace, was awkwardly silent, she had had the presence of mind to bring along her silk rope, which she whipped out as soon as the wheels of their cart hit cobblestone. This journey was going to be a long cry from the one the day before, when she had acted so impulsively in a jealousy fit. Coitus that night was all but none existent, he had suggested they turned in right away as he saw her yawning repeatedly after dessert. She was just happy to be next to him again, so she just let sleep taker her under, as she relished the weight of his thick arm around her waist.

Peeta looked at her, as she frantically tied and untied knots with her piece of rope, she noticed he had been staring at her, but when she looked up she saw the ghost of a smirk in his face, she spat defensively,

"What?"

"Oh... Nothing, my Lady. I see Finn has literally roped you into his little hobby." His grinned a bit. He slipped the end if the rope softly through his fingers, and added. "It is... Amusing, he still uses it this way, I remember the other uses his friends found for the damned ropes... It always chagrined him to hear their stories" He trailed off, as if reminiscing of something, he then shook his head with a chuckled. "I have to admit, Finnick was always the most... Tame, honorable and least thrill seeker of all his friends in law school. His pureness of heart in the middle of all that depravity was what made me love him as much as I do."

"I do not understand... What does a length of silk naval rope have to do with depravity?" She asked confused.

"My sweet... The things a man can do with rope in his chamber..." he broke off a little pensive. "But, this is not the time to talk about the things that Finnick's friends came up with, which he usually disapproved off any way." He looked out the window still wearing that faded smirk.

"It is sexual in nature, is it not? What the Baron's friends would do with rope? I think I can handle a tale about ropes, Peeta... Why will you not tell me?" She asked frustrated, she hated when he treated her like a child.

"As I said, Sweetie, I will tell you at home... If I tell you at all. I am not eager to shred away the last of your innocence with this business. I like you to stay pure for as long as possible!" He said giving her a sweet smile. That, just made her annoyance boiled into a blazing rage, she did not delayed her angry retort.

"I am not innocent! Much less pure and you know it... You have fucked me every which way there is! And I absolutely despise it when you treat me like a little girl! I am not a little girl, Peeta, I am your fucking wife! And for all you know I may even want to participate in whatever _nefarious_  thing it is, you can do with rope it is so shocking you would not speak of it... so stop shielding me from knowled..." As she verbally lashed angrily at Peeta, his gaze returned to her molten grey eyes, and just fixed her there with a dangerous glint behind it. Her rant was cut short in a moment, when he pounced on her, and held her wrists above her head forcefully. He growled into her ear, when her surprised gasp had dissipated into nothing.

"I have told you many times before, Katniss... Do not offer me something you are not remotely familiar with, that you have no way of knowing if you will be alright with. I am not particularly fond of rope play, and I am not sure I care much for your recklessness of late... If you want me to tell you about Finn's friends, I will, but not here, and not now." He let go of her, and pushed away from her and onto the other bench, she just stared at him in disbelief while rubbing her wrists. He had not left any marks, but they itched where her skin had twisted when she tried to wiggle away from him. She settled in her seat, and spent the rest of the ride peering outside her window at the familiar streets of her hometown.

The carriage stopped right in the middle of the palace courtyard. It was a handsome place for sure, everything was made of square white stone, the floor was made out the same cobblestone of the roads, but was somehow shinier. There were rose bushes of every color imaginable potted on terra-cotta planters everywhere she looked: next to every entrance, steps, archways and corners, flanking the walls that had nothing in the small citadel like yard. The blooms were very nice to look at, she was sure they would smell sweet as well if she was close enough to them.

Katniss's Father had work in this Palace many years ago. She had come visit him, to bring him lunch a handful of times, but she had not been back inside the Palace grounds since her Father's little wake ceremony where she got a medal on his honor after he was killed in an accidental explosion. She remembered hating this place and viewing it as her Father's untimely tomb. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, she took a moment to breathe in deeply, her fingers twisting and untwisting the rope rapidly.

"It is alright Catnip, you are alright... You are safe, I am here, Mason is here to protect you, and His Grace will keep you safe. There is nothing to be afraid of..." grasping her hand to stop her nervous fidgeting, her best friend whispered in her ear, only loud enough for her to hear.

"They died _here_ , Gale! How can you come to work _here_ every day and not panic?" She gritted through her teeth. He just exhaled, and looked at Peeta who was watching them like a jealous hawk.

"If you must know, Katniss... My job actually makes me feel closer to Father; being in this place, makes me think that I am walking over the same stones, into the same rooms, around the same grounds that he walked on. People think that because Father was infantry, I got in automatically, which is the farthest thing from the truth. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself to this army, and to the King, to get to where I am. So, when I am here, in this palace, I think I am doing this to honor our Fathers... Or... At least I did." He looked nervously at the rest of their party. They were all solemnly looking at him, Peeta nodded encouragingly. "I believe... I am here for a reason, Catnip... I just, know, my being here is important" He took a step back, and said a bit louder, "It is time, we should bring to your meeting place."

Once they started walking into the Palace's direction, Johanna walked right next to her, she whispered thinly.

"Everything will be over soon, and you can go to that lodge of yours back in Twelve. Just a little bit longer, brainless!" Katniss nodded stiffly staring ahead. She wished Peeta would at least walk next to her, but in The Capitol it was inappropriate to show any kind of affection towards a concubine, so he walked in front of her, a few paces behind Captain Hawthorne, who served as guide.

Every room they entered was as beautiful as the last, all the splendor of a kingdom in every detail, it was breathtaking. If only the Monarchy was not as rotten as it currently was. This Palace could be an exceptional jewel of Panem. There was not much Katniss disliked about the building and its contents, but the thought of the King waiting for them with no doubt bad news, kept her from enjoying her visit. Soon, they stood in front of a beautiful set of golden double doors that went all the way to the ceiling, and down to the polished marble floors. Cashmere and her Brother, Sir DeLoach were waiting at the doors already. Neither looked any comfortable being there.

"My Lady, Sir Gloss..." Peeta greeted his wife and brother-in-law with a stiff bow. Cashmere curtsied and Gloss bowed in return.

"Husband... Miss Everdeen." She said in a bored tone. Gloss only addressed Peeta and Gale. Katniss curtsied in turn, but said nothing.

"Your Grace, Captain." He ignored Katniss and Johanna as if they had next to no importance to him, which might as well be the case. It made Peeta cringe nonetheless, this two women where about the most important people in _his_ life. 

"Miss Everdeen how have you been enjoying your stay in our beautiful city?" Cashmere asked, pretending to be interested, as she walked to stand next to Peeta, ' _her rightful place, next to her legal husband'_. He reluctantly offered her his arm. He gave Katniss an apologetic look, but, as the day she arrived, her demeanor was that of cool indifference, only her eyes betrayed the internal inferno of her discontent, he knew there was going to be a lot of making up to do later on, for now, it was best to not call attention to the issue.

"I was born and raised in the Capitol, my Lady. I know the town like the back of my hand... But, I must say, I have not left Victor's Village since arriving yesterday evening. It has been nice to rest after such a long journey." She said politely, she even smiled sweetly at her Mistress, while the witch curled her pink silk covered arm around Katniss’s man. That was the decisive moment, in which she realized that if she had ever wanted anything selfishly in her life, it was to officially wed Peter Mellark. To call him her own before God and Men, and have the right to smack the living shit out of any tramp who dare to even look his way... She was gleefully fantasizing about inflicting pain on Delly Cartwright and Cashmere DeLoach, when a richly clothed man opened the golden doors, and took a look at the congregation on the other side.

The man cleared his throat loudly, then asked if they were the Duke and Duchess of Merch, then he called for Miss Everdeen, and dismissed the knights. Gale promptly announced that Dame Mason was there ordered to guard the doors to His Majesty's Private Study. He had already placed a loyal knight he trusted on the inside of the room, Sir Boggs. He had informed Peeta about this beforehand of course, but he only felt slightly at ease posting one person near Katniss.

The small party entered the study quietly. Peeta walked with his head high, a true gentleman, Cashmere by his arm, looking beautiful, and Katniss followed two paces behind, face hard as stone. She looked fierce and very determined. She happened to look at the petite blond in a corner of the study, the maid looked up, just in time to find her eyes, and was surprised to see it was the same Lady she had seen at the Duchess' house, just this time, she looked sad. More than sad... Miserable. She also noticed the maid was rubbing her midsection, almost affectionately. Another golden door, smaller than the ones they came in from, and at the opposite end of the study opened, a man came in, blond, built like a buffalo, not as strikingly handsome as Peeta of course, but about his age. Katniss recognized the Crown Prince at once. "His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Cato" She had seen him prancing around the Capitol enough to know who he was, by sight alone, she did not truly needed the herald to shout his identity.

For some unknown reason, Katniss's gaze returned to the mystery lady, she realizes the lady was staring at her, and then she mouthed something to Katnis that she could not actually understand. So she leaned her head slightly forward, as if she could make her brain read the other girl's lips better by being a quarter of an inch closer to her. The maid, surreptitiously glanced quickly in the Prince's direction, and back to Katniss, with a small hand gestured she repeated her mouthed word, and... "Smile"... ' _Oh! Right... Smiling would be appropriate when meeting royalty... It matters not, that your stomach is twisting unpleasantly and you have to concentrate hard to not relieve your lunch on some Royal slippers!_ '

The other girl's smile was still plastered on her pretty face; Katniss still had no idea who this young woman might be, but, she felt somehow sad for her. She kept glancing at her every so often; she was completely facing the door from where the Prince just entered. Then the same richly dressed man, stood at the side of the smaller door. Katniss deduced he must be the Herald, she had not seen his mouth move when the Prince came in, but she was watching him now, "His Majesty, King Coriolanus", a white headed, white bearded man, wearing a thin gold crown, made his way into the study. His clothing was exquisite, all white with gold details, a white rose pinned to his chest, that somehow did not blended against the rest of the white, but popped, calling attention to itself. She remembered this about the King, the white roses that always seem to adorned him.

The King took a seat behind his desk. Finally. This was the moment she had been dreading... she was about to learn what in blazes did this old man have in store for her, and she would be damned, if she did something stupid and embarrassing, like have to make a speedy retreat to the closest potted plant to emptied her stomach’s contents before she could hear a word this man had to say to her.

Everyone bowed in greeting to the King.

"My beloved Nephew!" The old man's voice boomed in the enormous room. "And the always lovely Mrs. Mellark... Always a pleasure to see you, my lady!" Katniss felt her stomach revolting in disgust, while both Peeta and Cashmere approached the King and kissed his ring bearing the White Rose, symbol of the Royal House of Snow. She coul not see Peeta's face, only his back and it bothered her greatly, not being able to read the emotions on his face. She did however see the petite lady, trying to smile at her, maybe to make her feel at ease? Easier said than done.

"My liege" The Duke and Duchess said in turn as they greeted the King, then both of them turn to greet the Prince Cato, who stood casually, right behind his Father, leaning lazily on a bookshelf.

"Your Highness!" Said Peeta bowing to his cousin, Cashmere followed suit a second later.

"Now Nephew, introductions are in order... This here," the King stretched a hand to the young lady standing diagonally to them. "Is Lady Glimmer Crane, only daughter of Lord Seneca Crane... You may not remember him, he used to work for me, as my Public Relations advisor, but we parted ways not in very agreeable terms, which are now in light of recent events... what do we call them? Water under the bridge, my dear?" He said as the young woman finally walked up to him, and take his outstretched hand. She graciously smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Certainly, my Lord!"

Peeta then bowed low, to Lady Crane, and took the hand she had offered him, leaving an almost there kiss on her knuckles. "A true pleasure to meet you, my Lady. I have heard of your unrivaled beauty, I am happy to say, that I have not been led astray!" His voice was deep and soothing, Katniss felt the green monster of jealousy rear it's very ugly head, but she remembered he was being polite to the King's guest; he was _required_ to be polite... Probably. Still nothing the King said explained who this Lady Crane was, or why was she there with them.

"Mrs. Mellark is already acquainted with my beautiful Lady Crane, as she is currently boarding at her house, for which I am most grateful!" He gave Cashmere a half bow, and she responded with a very deep curtsy. Katniss saw a dark shadow passed over Lady Crane's face, as she glanced at Cashmere, but quickly schooled her features into one of those pleasant smiles she had been wearing since Cato came into the study. "Now... It is my understanding Her Grace has brought a special guest this afternoon; would you mind making the introductions, my Lady?"

His beady little eyes raked all over Katniss, she felt an uneasy feeling pooled in her lower belly, and a shiver ran down her spine, her skin crawled uncomfortably under both the King and the Prince's scrutiny. She had been subjected, to unwanted lascivious stares from any number of men practically all of her adolescence, but something in the way these royals looked at her, was not purely lecherous, it was also or mostly evil. She had no idea of how to proceed with this; it would be so much easier if it was not the King and his heir ogling her, then she would know how to defend herself, for now she is dependent on Peeta to save her honor. It fell to Cashmere to do the official introductions, as she was the one to hire the Concubine.

"My liege, this is Miss Katniss Everdeen," she gestured for Katniss to step up, which she did with a deep bow, almost touching the floor as she was taught by her Mother. It was a very old fashioned greeting,  that pleased the King greatly. Cashmere continued, "She is the eldest daughter of one of your late infantry men, lost in that terrible gun powder accident many years ago. Miss Everdeen, currently serves as my dear husband's Concubine, and I am happy to announce, we are very pleased with her... Work." She turned to look at Katniss and gave her a very big smile, too bright to be real.

"Yes, I have heard of my nephew's Concubine... stories of her beauty and her efficient ways in running his estates has reached my Court. I have been intrigued for days, until it occurred to me... It was time to meet this jewel of Panem. I welcome you to my humble abode, Miss Everdeen!" He said offering his hand in her direction; she carefully bowed and then approached to kiss the ring adorning his bony finger.

"Your Majesty... Such a pleasure... I have no words to express myself, my liege. I apologize for my lack of verbiage." She said softly.

"No matter my child! It is more important for a man to know how to speak than it is for a woman! Which reminds me... My son, Crown Prince Cato... He could use some _verbiage_ himself, if he wants to lead this kingdom at least marginally as well as his old Father has." The comment made everyone tense up a little. Katniss in an effort to keep things from getting too uncomfortable bowed to the Prince and curtsied as she nodded in his direction.

Cato, bounced back from his father's jab quite fast, he leaned forward and took Katniss’s hand in his. Although she had not offered it to him he kissed her knuckles. His voice was velvety and deep as he spoke. "Enchanted to finally meet the legendary Girl on Fire. Rumors do not do your beauty any justice, Miss Everdeen... You are perfectly lovely to behold." Looking straight into Peeta's eyes that barely concealed his own anger and distrust, the Prince said as if not noticing his cousin's unease. "I have always said dear Cousin! You have all the luck when it comes to beautiful women!" He finally released Katniss hand which he was clutching tightly, as discreetly as she could she rubbed her hand off on her deep green velvet gown skirt.

"That, I may have to agree with you my son! Miss Everdeen is truly a great find, Lady Mellark made! She is not only beautiful, but she has the manners of one raised by our foremothers. The old ways have been forgotten, but I see they are not completely dead as I watch you my dear. Tell me, who coached you?" The King spoke kindly, but his gaze was cold and calculating, he looked like a snake ready to pounce. _ **'Like taking the lid off a pot and finding a fanged viper instead of stew'**_ the thought made her shudder with revulsion. Better _**to treat him as if he is a real snake, the venomous kind,**_ She decided.

"I have never received any kind of official instruction, my Lord, but only what my Mother taught me at home as a young girl. Father was employed under your generosity, first as head hunter, and then as archer for the infantry, lastly he was head shooter with infantry. Mother, was of the mind that it was best to be prepared in case we ever had to accompany Father in any functions." She said carefully, but honestly.

"I see... And your Father was Royal Head Hunter Everdeen... I remember him fondly. He was a fine archer; we could not waste his talents in sport! But, your Mother... She is who I am curious about; I do not really recall a Mrs. Everdeen... In all honestly, I knew Head Hunter Everdeen had a family, but I do not recall ever meeting any of you, my dear... So tell me, where did your Mother learn the old fashion court niceties. They do not teach those anywhere and only the oldest of families still observe them... Dear Mrs. Mellark is adept at some of the customs, but not all, and given her blood lineage it is a shame, but then again when you are the last of anything it is hard to preserve certain knowledge, as I said, it is a shame Mockingjays are now extinct!"

"What?" Katniss could not prevent her reaction, she turned and stared first at Peeta, who looked like he was about to puke, and then saw Cashmere's face, the look of resentment and anger that was badly masked behind her obviously fake smile... Katniss's eyes zeroed on Cashmere's lips, lips that were the exact same shape and size as hers, so was her nose, if she looked closely. She looked exactly like Mrs. Everdeen did in old pictures, except for the curly hair and green eyes, those were not Mockingjay traits, but neither were Katniss’s coloring. Her eyes went back to Peeta, who shook his head ‘no’ ever so slightly. To cover for her mishap, she babbled something about being in awed that she was in the presence of one of the Mockingjays, that she had been an admirer of the stories about their songbird like voices. She apologized profusely to the King, and then thinking on the fly, she came up with a satisfactory explanation about her mother, that would keep her identity concealed.

"Mother, is a healer, she has been all her life, she was orphaned at seventeen, and came to Seam and Merch as an apothecary apprentice. She had worked in so many places, by the time she and Father married, she had collected all kinds of useful knowledge including proper etiquette. Knowledge she passed on to us." She did not technically lie, she just spoke of the story she had always heard growing up, instead of the factual one she just learned about. The King seemed pleased.

"Us? Who else did your Mother teach to be such a proper Lady?" Said Cato, the way he smiled gave her the creeps.

"It is just me, and my sister, Primrose."

"Primrose... What a pretty name!" He said taking a casual step in her direction. "And, is Miss Primrose as beautiful as you, Miss Everdeen?" She glanced at Peeta, whose face was a blank slab of cold rock. Before she could answer, the King cut in.

"Now, now, Cato... We will address your agenda in a moment. For now, let us gather some personal knowledge on our guest of honor, shall we?" He said with a jovial smile, "So, Miss Everdeen. I also hear, you have a knack for, let us call it, domestic administration. What would you say to that Nephew, you had placed her over your affairs in that house of yours, is she as efficient as rumors have it?" He pinned Peeta with his snake like eyes, but he proceeded to answer calmly as ever, nothing broke him.

"Miss Everdeen has been crucial help this season for Winter Home. She has re-adjusted our budget so now we have a substantial margin of profit with minimal effort, she has been wonderful as Lady of the House. I will say, I depend on her to run my house smoothly, more than I ever thought possible." He said not betraying his romantic feelings for her at all, which she thought might be a good thing in this situation, as his wife was still hanging from his arm for dear life.

"That is splendid!" The King clapped as if overjoyed. He then extended his hand to Lady Crane who had slowly returned to her corner, probably wishing she would be blended in with the wallflowers. There would be no such luck for her, ever, for the rest of her life. "Come Lady Crane, I think I have found the perfect candidate!" Katniss swallowed hard, she did not like the sound of that at all.

Lady Crane appeared to be caressing her belly again, and the oddity of the gesture, finally became clear to Katniss, as she saw the woman's dress properly. She had been wearing a rich, deep blue velvet gown, with golden accents, her sleeves had patches of white silk here and there, similar to Cashmere's pale pink dress, but as the lady moved, the fabrics of her skirts would drape around her, her midsection was only slightly protruding, but there was no mistake, the woman was with child, and Katniss had a bad feeling about who sired the child.

"I apologize for speaking up, my liege, but... I do not understand, what is _My_ Concubine a perfect candidate for, if you do not mind my inquiring?" Peeta interrupted, his eyes were frantic and even scared, although his face was emotionless and cold.

"Oh... Of course. How daft of me!" The King laughed, holding Lady Crane's hand in a strangling fist, the woman could only smile to hide her winces. "You see dear nephew, I desire to wed Lady Crane as soon as possible, a King without a Queen is not any good at all, the other realms would think the King to be weak, or sick, or worse... Dying!" He laughed again, only Cato laughed with him, Cashmere had a half smile. "I was smitten with my beautiful Glimmer, the moment I set eyes on her... Now, fate has it that before I was free of my previous marriage, Lord Crane impulsively gave the hand of his only daughter in marriage, to a Lord Marvel..." his off hand comment about his marriage to the dead Queen, as if it was the biggest nuisance in his existence, reminded her of the rumors, that he was directly involved in the Queen's passing ' ** _Poison. The perfect weapon for a_ _snake_ '** she thought to herself, almost missing the next part, "Do not get me wrong, the Marvels have been dear friends of the crown, decent servants. But now I find myself in the very awkward and unfortunate position in which I have to negotiate with them for the right to wed my beloved lady Glimmer... I have offered to find Lord Marvel a worthy wife, if he in turn, will withdraw his proposal, thus breaking the engagement." The King ended his story and smile benignly, Katniss felt the bile reach dangerous heights in her throat. ' _He could not be serious; he wants to trade Katniss for Glimmer?'_

She felt her arm constrict painfully, as Peeta's hand wrapped above her elbow like a vice and pulled her swiftly behind him, as if to shield her from the King. "I am so sorry, my liege... But Katniss is mine, she is my legal property, and she cannot be negotiated at the moment." He spoke barely above a whisper, by the way his hand was shaking on her arm she knew he was struggling to keep it together.

"Pardon me?" The King's voice turned icy and dangerous. "Am I to understand that my only nephew, is defying his King? Over a  Concubine?"

"What my husband meant to say, Your Majesty, is... That, Miss Everdeen, is under a tight lidded contract, and it would be nearly impossible to break it at this point!" Cashmere offered hastily, for some unknown reason she took a step closer to Peeta, effectively hiding Katniss completely behind the both of them. Peeta had no idea, what was in it for her, but he would sign off all his wealth to her including his properties tied to his nobile titles if she helped him protect Katniss. He knew all she had just said was complete bullshit, as Katniss’s contract was completely open-ended and could basically be terminated at any moment and by either party.

The King gave her an angry look, and asked harshly "Well, well, well, is that so? I thought you had made it so you could break the contract whenever you felt inclined to do so... Cashmere, dear!" He said her name with malice.

"Yes, my Lord. Originally that is how the Contract had been drawn, but yesterday, after a meeting with His Grace, we modified a few key points of the contract... For example, Miss Everdeen is locked in for a whole year, before the contract can be negotiated again. We are so happy with her work so far, and we are both so fond of her," her voice lulled, as if she really felt fondness. "We thought it would be a pity to allow her to slip through our fingers... If we had known beforehand what His Majesty wanted from our darling Miss Everdeen, we would not have made such changes... Is that not right Husband?" She asked sweetly looking into his eyes, he matched her smile, and even went as far as to kiss her hand in fake adoration.

"Absolutely right my pet!" He then turned to the King as if he had momentarily forgotten he was in his presence. Clearing his throat, he added smoothly with a bright smile. "I wish I was as articulate as my beloved Wife! She truly is gifted when it comes to public speaking... She can translate things better into words, than I ever could!" Another huge lie, Peeta was the best orator Katniss had ever met; she was only learning of the manipulation and cunning skills Cashmere possessed, but it was clear to her, that together they made a flimsy lie sound like solid fact "I apologize if my bumbling comment came across as insulting; it truly was not my intention, my Lord. I live to serve you, my Liege"

"Yes, well... Your impertinence is forgiven nephew. You are right; Mrs Mellark is gifted with her tongue." If the comment was intended as an insult, neither Mellark reacted to it. Katniss, still shielded behind the Duke and Duchess, saw lady Crane, breathe deeply, she seemed somehow relieved, Katniss did not understand it, but the next question almost broke her.

"Very well Nephew, Mrs. Mellark... If you have locked yourselves into this deal, and there is no way to dissuade you to part with your... Maid, how about, we make a little business dabbling, over this Miss Primrose?" The King's voice had lost all trace of friendliness and warmth; he was there merely to trade them as cattle.

She saw Prince Cato, perk up, he straighten up next to his Father, and started listening with rapt attention.

"I know, the Prince has approached you as the young maiden's legal Benefactor, to inquire about her hand in marriage," Katniss knees buckled under her weight, a knight, standing right by the door, noticed and just in time slipped a chair under her, otherwise she would have fallen to the floor. She felt betrayed for a moment, Peeta had not said anything about this to her.

"Yes, my Lord. I had spoken to the Prince about it previously, and I explained, Miss Primrose just celebrated her fifteenth birth date, she is much too underage to be even a considered seriously as a bridal candidate..." The King cut him off.

"She will be sixteen soon enough! She can be promised in marriage, a dowry can be set, the guidelines for courtship can be drawn... If she is even half as good as your sex slave there, this other girl will served adequately as a prospect bride for Lord Marvel, then when Miss Everdeen's contract is up, she can take her sister's place and marry the man herself, freeing the younger for someone else!" He spat. Katniss nearly vomited, at that. Why could this man do this? Who did he think he was, to decide about other people's lives like they were nothing? Cato's rage was clearly demarked on his face, he looked almost derranged, he stalked off to his corner and brood angrily.

It was Peeta's retort that made her finally lose it, and fall to the floor with a loud plop.

"I cannot agree to that, my Lord. You see... Both girls have already been negotiated into marriages. Primrose has been sold and paid for. And as for Katniss, well, as Cashmere has said, we cannot part with her for a year, and then I had been approached by a foreigner Wanting to do business for her, I promised him I would hear him out. I am so sorry, for our deceit... But, if my Lord still wants the girls, It will take some time to sort out the logistics of dissolving the business deals already in place..." There had been more words, ' _Did she and her sister were only trading goods for Peeta? Did the times he whispered he loved her while shrouded in the shadows of deep night, when he thought she was not listening, were all a lie?'_ but, everything faded out slowly before her eyes, until there was only the rushing of her own blood in her ears and she was plunged into total darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, Flashback and internal thoughts in italics, direct quotes from Catching Fire and Mockingjay in italics/bold, Sirius Black quote from HP: OotP by JK Rowling in bold.
> 
> So, the plot thickens! The last bend in Katniss's road as a Concubine is here, we still have a handful of chapters left, but, it won't be long now. Reviews, comments and questions, are my favorite thing to read in my dashboard! So go ahead and talk to me!


	19. Sensible Glimmers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: None of the Characters or places in this fic belong to me.
> 
> A big Thank You, to me Beta abk1973, who made corrections and observations to make this story it's best! This chapter in particular. Thank you ABK!

Her eyes hurt, or itched, she was not quite sure which; all she knew was that it really bothered her eyes, but she could not bring herself to open them just yet. Her other senses were recovering slowly. There was a soft humming, somewhere near by. And there was something soft under her fingers and she swirled her fingers some just to feel the softness again, it was some kind of fur, she wondered where at home they have fur seating?

The humming stopped abruptly, and she heard a woman talk.

"Are you coming to, Miss Everdeen?" She felt the light touch of cool fingers on her cheek; she slowly opened her eyes, just to see who was talking to her. She saw blue eyes and freckles right over her face, the woman leaned back a few inches and she found herself face to face with the soft smile of Lady Crane. "It is nice to see you awake once more... You did give your Masters quite the scare." She smiled sweetly at her again and all Katniss could do was stare. "The Duke has been sitting outside the door the whole time, I would have let him in, but then what fun would that be? The Duchess almost had a heart attack as well, but of course, she is more concerned about Coin costs and having broken goods... It is infuriating if you ask me." The young woman left Katniss's field of vision for a moment, and then returned with a crystal goblet full of water, she set it down somewhere close by, and came to stand next to Katniss again.

"Can you sit up, Miss Everdeen? I would help you, just go slowly."

Once she was in a sitting position, she felt a dull head ache, her temples throbbed and she was a little dizzy as well. She finally regained her voice and it surprised her how scratchy it sounded.

"L-lady Crane? What... What happened? How, um, how long have I been out?" She slowly looked around the beautiful room they were in, there were no clocks, but the one open window showed that it was light out.

"You fainted right when His Grace was giving all his bullshit excuses about why he could not hand you or your little sister over to the King... I was very impressed by his ability to convincingly lie under duress." She smirked.

"Was it a lie? How could you tell, my Lady... If you do not mind my asking?" Glimmer laughed.

"Call me Glimmer... Lady Crane sounds too stuffy... We are basically the same person. We surely seem to be in the same position at least..." She handed Katniss the glass of water, "Drink this... It has a touch of sugar in it just to give you some energy until we can get food into you... You should take care of yourself better, in your condition it is not good to exert yourself"

"My... Condition?" She asked puzzled. Glimmer saw the honest confusion in her eyes and only shook her head and smiled.

"It matters not... It will be as plain to you as it is too me, soon enough." Katniss did not linger in her enigmatic answer as she gulped the sugary water greedily, she was suddenly very thirsty. "In answer to your previous questions, you have been unconscious for little over fifteen minutes and, the Duke's words were total and pure bullshit. The reason I know is because I know everything there is to know about Peter Mellark..." Katniss's eyes snapped in the lady's direction and Glimmer raised her hands in surrender. "Not by choice!" She added quickly. "I live in Cashmere's house, and she speaks of her husband constantly... Nothing good at all, I regrettably have to say. But... If there is something I have learned in my time here it is that everyone has skewed perceptions of other people, and they create their own biased concepts of people around them... It is always the same about most people." Katniss relaxed a little, she did not know much about this Glimmer woman, but so far she was an alright person.

"From what I have observed in this day and half, the Duke is very much enamored with you Miss Everdeen. He lied through his teeth for you to the King, which I am sure would carry some kind of punishment if discovered..."

Katniss panic, "W-Why would he do that, if there is a chance he could get punished?" She squeaked.

"Well, is it not clear? Lover boy is trying to protect you, Girl on Fire. Or, at least he is trying to gain you some time." She laughed again.

"Um... Would… would it be alright if you call me Katniss? I am not very fond of the moniker people have given me." She sounded like a ten year old, but she could not help that.

"Sure... Katniss!" She smiled, and then she asked taking the empty goblet from her. "Would you like more water? It will help with your voice and the dizziness if you have any."

"Yes, please." She said softly. Once she received her second cup of fresh water she turned to face Glimmer. "G-Glimmer?" She said hesitantly, Glimmer's smile widened and gave Katniss her undivided attention. "Um... W-why are you being so nice to me? I am a nobody, the King has made it plenty clear that I am just a commodity that can be traded or sold." Bitterness leaking from her lips as the words are spoken.

"Katniss... Do not let the odious words of that senile bastard question your self-worth. Yes, maybe for him you, me... Most women in general are but property to be negotiated with, but, not all people see us that way... As I said before, we are in the very same position, you and I... Except, I do not love my master. The person I thought I loved, I cannot be with freely, and the one that was supposed to be in love with me, wanting to marry me, is more concerned with his possessions than my wellbeing." She did not sound angry or frustrated, she simply was... resigned. "I have discovered that there is only one person I know I love without a doubt, and he or she has not been born yet..." She said with the ghost of a smile in her lips. Katniss looked at Glimmer's midsection that was hidden by a few layers of blue velvet. "Here, have a couple of crackers, before you get nauseated."

"So... Am I right to guess... You are with child?" She asked hesitantly, taking a cracker from a porcelain plate that looked much too delicate, she was afraid that it would break as soon as she touched it.

"I am... It is difficult to pin point how far along I am, most physicians agree this is my third month for sure, probably closer to my fourth, as I am swelling already." She pulled her dress tightly behind her back, showing her slightly protruding pregnant belly, it looked smaller than Katniss originally perceived. "If indeed you are like me, when you finally discover, you are with child yourself... Well... It will open your eyes... Put everything in perspective... It is scary and terrible, you will doubt everything, especially because you are bringing a child into this world out of wedlock. You will worry about everything... But the one thing that will be clear to you from the moment you find out there is life inside of you, is that you love the person that grows in your womb more than your own life, that you will do anything to secure its happiness... in my case... marry his or her Father." She looked the younger woman in the eyes, and then said, wistfully. "At least you would know that you procreated with the person you love, I was not that lucky... My child belongs to the man that practically raped me." She shook her head; her eyes went back to being full of sadness, just as they were when Katniss first saw her. She could not stand it, she was shocked to hear this beautiful young woman, who was not much older than herself, tell her all this things. How could she be forced by the King to enter an unwanted sexual relationship like that? When she signed up to be a Concubine she did so knowing that sex was the main reason she was sought out. She knew, that the man she would be with could take her the first night she arrived, she thought she was alright with that until she realized what it all meant. She was lucky indeed she and Peeta had deep feelings for each other, but seeing as Glimmer's status in high society was not a guarantee of her safety, it scared her to no end; she looked away and muttered almost emotionlessly.

"I am never having children! Not after witnessing this. I feel sorry for His Grace... I know the idea of children has been growing in him lately, I just... I cannot bring children into a world where people's lives are worth just as much as the value the King gives them... For him, there is no distinction between nobility, peasantry, and cattle, is there? I refuse to raise a child in a place like this one."

"Oh, dear Katniss... You... You do not even suspect...?" said Glimmer sadly.

"Suspect what?" She asked puzzled.

"That you can make all kinds of plans for yourself, but usually things do not go accordingly with your expectations... Life has a way of doing what it wants." She gave Katniss a sad smile, handing her a napkin to clean her lips of crumbs. "Do not lose heart... I found that a baby is a blessing, a beacon of light in my dreary dark existence..."

"Forgive me... but... I do not understand at all, how you found yourself in this position... You have a fiancée; you are a nobleman's daughter so how did you end up carrying the King's child?" Glimmer's eyes fell to the floor, a tear rolled down her cheek, and Katniss felt like the worst kind of person on earth. "Oh God! I am so sorry! I apologize! I should not have said that. It was wrong and disrespectful of me to pry... I was insensitive and mean... I... Please... Do not cry" she begged, almost crying herself.

"Oh no... Do not feel bad... It is quite alright... It is a valid question anyway, as you are being roped into this... _shit_ , with the rest of us. If anything, I am the one that feels terrible... You should have never been caught in the middle of any of this... I am happy that at least the Duke is trying to protect you... Father tried to protect me too... Sadly, he could not do much and finally, I ended up here..." She wiped off another tear and Katniss sat up straight.

"Please, Lady Glimmer, sit!" She offered softly, her eyes red rimmed and damp.

"Father has all but turned his back on me now though..." Glimmer sat next to Katniss, and on impulse Katniss offered Glimmer her cup of water. "As if any of this terrible mess I am in, is any of my own doing. My fiancée will not break the engagement off because he wants my family to return his heirloom engagement ring and other jewelry he gave my parents for my hand. Father will not break the engagement either, because then none of the dowry money he gave to the Marvels would be returned... Neither family cares about me, all they care is about losing Coin or jewels." She hiccuped, and in another uncharacteristic action Katniss leaned sideways, and patted the crying girl. There was not much she could say to that, what could she say? That she was sorry? That life had given her a shitty hand? She seemed to know that very well already.

"Mmm... G-Glimmer? You where humming something when I... Um... Woke up..." Glimmer smiled sadly and nodded

"The baby gets restless, so... I try to sing, but I am rubbish at it, so I hum, it seems to be enough for my child... Who by the way, is moving like a maniac right now." A spark lit in Glimmer's light blue eyes, "Will you like to feel it?" Katniss's eyes bugged out, she had not felt a pregnant belly since her Mother had carried Prim, but for some strange reason she readily nodded. This prompted Glimmer to reach out for her hand and placed it on her small swell. A moment passed with nothing, then, a very small twitch and if she had not been paying attention she would have sworn Glimmer had moved on-purpose.

"Oh!"

"Did you feel it?" She asked excitedly, "No one seems to feel the movements but me!" The young woman clapped her hands in true delight; as the baby inside of Glimmer moved, and Glimmer's tears started to dry. Katniss felt compel to sing...

" _Down in the valley,_  
_the valley so low,_  
Hang your head over,  
hear the wind blow.  
Hear the wind blow, dear,  
hear the wind blow.  
Hang your head over,  
hear the wind blow.

 _Writing this letter,_  
_containing three lines,_  
Answer my question,  
"Will you be mine?"  
"Will you be mine, dear,  
will you be mine,"  
Answer my question,  
"Will you be mine?"

 _Roses love sunshine,_  
_violets love dew,_  
Angels in heaven know I love you;  
Know I love you, dear,  
know I love you,  
Angels in heaven know I love you.”

Those were the lyrics to the melody Glimmer had been humming, or at the very least the few verses she could clearly remember... As a little girl she had called it The Valley song. She was not sure it was the song’s real name, but her Daddy had known what she meant when she petitioned for it, so he sang... Her favorite verse was the one about the Angels, she thought about how sweet it would be to sing the verse to a child of her own, letting it know that even angels were witness of her motherly love... Alas... it was a nice thought, but just that, a thought.

"That was..." Glimmer sighed, "That was breathtaking!" Katniss opened her eyes, she had not closed them consciously, but she found Glimmer's face had fresh tear tracks down her rosy cheeks. She stood up abruptly.

"I... am so, so sorry... I did not mean to cause you sadness!" She said hastily, Glimmer rushed to her to reassure her.

"No! Do not apologize! It was beautiful... I wish I could sing like you! Your child will be able to fall asleep so peacefully, lulled by such a sweet voice..." Katniss looked up at her, and frowned.

"I will never have children... Peeta will understand... I will not subject myself to see them become the King's currency, like we both are... For it matters not to him if we are noble or not, he will do with us as he pleases..." She swallowed bitterly. "Tell me if I understand this incorrectly, but... The King, he heard about me and the stories say how good for business I have been for Winter Home? And seeing that my position has become popular gossip, I am possibly the newest fad in our beloved Capitol? The Prince cannot marry a woman that has known another man's bed, especially if they are kin, but... The woman can be easily be given away or exchanged as a prize for another, to a gentleman of lower standing?" Glimmer seemed to shrink in front of her burning gaze, of course she was right, that had been the whole purpose of this meeting!

"Thank Heavens our legal system works alright every now and then" gritted Glimmer between clenched teeth. "As long as you are under contract, and your little sister is underage, the King cannot touch you... Either of you... Now... We have been here for far too long... I will go fetch your Master and let him know you have wakened." She whispered as if they were conspiring. "The King was not satisfied with the results that yielded from today's conversation, but all of you have been dismissed for the time being... He will insist, and you have to be ready when he does... The old bastard always gets his way, by any means necessary... He would much rather lose a prospective asset then have his intentions thwarted... If you do not believe me, ask your friend, Captain ' _tall, dark and brooding_ ' about the black powder reserves, he will know what it is about." She gave a sweeping glance around the room, holding onto Katniss' shoulders, looking straight into her dumbfounded eyes she said hurriedly "There is only one person left in this world that I love, and is safely entrapped in my body... The day you become a mother, you will understand the sacrifices one must make to keep our children safe... The Duke will only be able to protect you for so long, but you have allies... Be ready to run, do not look back, do not delay... your... 'Peeta' has a plan in motion; I can see it in his eyes..."

"How...?"

She stopped her with a hand raised up. "When you are viewed as being part of the decor... People, from the King, to the lowliest peasant, tend to talk too loud, too much..."

"Why are you trying to help me?" She asked confused, "I am no..."

"You are Katniss Everdeen... the maid who got away!" She whispered wistfully. "After Father gave up on my cause, I had no one else to help me out of this hell... But, you still have people fighting in your behalf... When they tell you to run... And they WILL tell you to run... RUN!" She held Katniss's cold nervous hands in hers, and sighing to give herself some courage, she continued. "At risk of betraying Cashmere, who I thought actually cared about me, I have to warn you, I was never privy to her inner schemes, but... She will celebrate the day you find yourself with child... Hide it as much as you can..."

"What?" Katniss sputtered, "It is illegal and bases for immediate termination of contract for a Concubine to conceive! I have been taking precautions..." Glimmer interrupted her.

"Katniss... Cashmere wants you pregnant! Why? I do not know... But it cannot be good, it may be she needs a ways to get rid of you since she is no longer the King's favorite. But I do not doubt Prince Cato still has a yearning for her company. I am not sure what her game is, but, be careful. And, just so you know... I had been taking precautions as well, and... Look at my state... Children will come unbidden and when they want to. Just... You might be closer than you imagine... I have been watching you since your arrival, and I suggest you take better care of yourself, it will not do to keep fainting and retching." Katniss recoiled in horror, but nodded, understanding that she should not give a false impression, and realized how bad it must have looked.

"I am not... I am not with child..." She said with downcast eyes, "I have been careful..." Glimmer held her chin up, and smiled at the slightly younger woman.

"We are in the same position you and I... Your options are still better than mine... Do not waste time fearing the world around you, it will be alright Katniss, it has been for me so far... It will be for you as well!" She embraced her quickly. "It was my pleasure to meet you finally. I hope we never have to see each other again, or it will be a bad omen. Take care of yourself." With that, she turned on her heel, leaving Katniss standing in the middle of a small room, very ornately decorated. Windows that were wide open looked out into a small rose garden, there was only one door in or out of the room, and there was the single chaise longue where she had been laying down upholstered in a rough cream fabric with red flower patterns and that fur throw she had felt before she fully woke. The palace was beautiful; too bad it housed this awful people.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"My Lord Mellark... Miss Everdeen has awakened... She is resting at the moment, but should be ready to depart soon enough" said Glimmer with a matter-of-fact blank face.

"Thank..." In a second she was pressed against him, hissing into his ear.

"Get her out! She's not safe in Panem, the King will find her and her sister... Get them out... Even if it kills you, get them out and let them go... All of them!"

As quickly as she had rushed into him, she was gone from the hallway where he sat waiting for like it felt hours, while feeling pins and needles prick his every nerve. He did not questioned the warning, he knew this before she even spoke the words. Panem was not safe for Katniss, and it was not safe apparently for Prim and... Who else formed the 'All' in Glimmer's small burst? Maybe Mrs. Everdeen? Why would it kill him to part with the woman?. At any rate, it was better not to delay their departure from the palace. The more distance between them, the better.

 

=========================

 

"Brainless!" Johanna rushed to embrace her friend, propriety be damned. "I have been so worried! We heard... Are you alright?" She grabbed Katniss's upper arms and held her away from her so she could study her face. Katniss was getting annoyed by her friend's concern.

"I am alright... I just got overwhelmed by it all. Also, I think from now on I will always eat my breakfast, no matter how unsettled my stomach sits." She had not have time to discuss with Peeta all that was said during their visit with the King. She was still nervous about all HE said. But she knew talking about it in front of everyone was not a good idea. "I need to get away from this place that is for sure... Um... Are you... Are you joining us for supper?" The question was meant to address Johanna, but her pleading eyes were fixed on Peeta's, he nodded, and said.

"If Dame Mason is free, I expect her to join our dinner table." He  sent a quick glance in Gale's direction. Gale rolled his eyes, he did not understand Katniss’ friendship with Mason at all. Johanna Mason was everything opposite his Catnip, it was disconcerting how much they seemed to care for each other in such a short amount of time, and maybe, deep down he felt a bit of jealousy for their close relationship. He realized that as women, they could talk of topics she never could with him, and he felt at a disadvantage, and utterly replaced.

"Dame Mason will be escorting you right away. She is not to report back to base until tomorrow morning... She is free to spend her evening as she pleases." He said flatly. He had been worried sick when they heard about the incident. Of course, there was not much he was allowed to do, only wait and be patient. Even now, it was not his place to shower her with attention, that was the Duke's responsibility. And judging by the way she kept brushing her fingers against the Duke's arm, and the way his hand kept twitching and bouncing, both of them were having difficulty keeping the proper distance that is publicly acceptable. He undoubtedly felt relief that he did not have to witness any exchange of affection between them... Gale knew that Katniss' heart and body belonged to the Duke, but he still did not want to see her acting _in love_ with another man. He would have to someday, but, he was not ready for it just yet.

Katniss saw a Knight approached Gale. It was the knight that had been posted in the King's study that afternoon, the same one that had slipped a chair under her before she collapsed after those horrid minutes in which she thought Peeta had betrayed her. Lady Glimmer's words had finally made sense and sank in her much clearer mind. She now realized, Peeta would never treat anyone as mere tools, especially her and Prim. Katniss had no idea what was going through his brain at the moment, they had not had a chance to talk yet, and she really wanted to just be alone with him, so they could discuss this events and probably cuddle some at the same time, she found she needed his arms around her badly.

Meanwhile, Gale and the other man were having a whispered conversation. The knight was intimidating looking, he was as tall as Gale, who was the tallest person she knew at any rate, but he was twice as broad and muscular. He seemed to be in his mid-forties, with greying, close-cropped hair and intense blue eyes. After a moment, the both of them broke off their conversation and together approached the Duke and Katniss.

"Your Grace, Miss Everdeen, this is Sir Boggs." Sir Boggs bowed to them both swiftly. "Sir Boggs is one of my most trusted friends in the Knight's ranks. I have invited Sir Boggs to a round of ale at Madame Jackson's tavern this evening; perhaps we can persuade His Grace to accompany us after supper?" There was something clandestine about the exchange, but Katniss could not quite figure it out.

"Certainly! I expect Dame Mason would be welcome as well?" Peeta asked with a bright smile in his face.

"Of course my Lord. We will have a gathering of Knights and Peacekeepers, and people I call my most trusted friends! We usually go out once a month to... unwind." Gale said and smiled... a real, honest smile, it brightened up his face and made him look absolutely handsome. Katniss saw out of the corner of her eye how Johanna almost swooned, after her obvious double take at her friend, something clicked in her brain, and she smirked at a very flustered looking Dame Mason. Katniss made sure no one was looking at them when she mouthed.

"Gale?... Really?" Johanna just shot her a death glare, and Katniss almost broke out laughing. They had missed half the conversation the men were having and just caught the end tail of the arrangements they had made.

"... More likely around eight o'clock, I am guessing Captain Hawthorne will have to deliver his family back home before coming to the tavern... what do you think Sir Gale? Does that sound reasonable?" Peeta said in a relaxed voice.

"That should be plenty of time, my Lord!" Gale assured equally carefree, "How about you Boggs?"

"I will be there a bit earlier to make sure we get the best corner!" He said and they all laughed as if they have done this a million times before. Something about their easy camaraderie, made Katniss uneasy. It was maybe because, she still could not reconcile Peeta and Gale as drinking buddies in her head, or just the fact that all hints pointed at, Peeta going out for drinks with a bunch of men... and Johanna... leaving her behind, yet again, in a huge house all by herself.

She tugged on his jacket sleeve, feeling like a baby for asking, "Pe... M-my Lord? Can Dame Mason stay with me while you go out this evening?" her voice so whiny, it did nothing to help dispel the childish feeling at all, Peeta looked at Johanna, almost worriedly, but Johanna just smiled and said.

"I have not had a girl's night in, in so long, I cannot even remember the last time it had one! It would be my honor to keep the lady entertained while the boys go play drinking games at that loud, grimy tavern!" Her voice was enthusiastic and affectionate; Katniss did not miss the quizzical look Gale gave Johanna. She decided then and there, to play Cupid for her friends.

"Very well! then we all have our plans set for this evening after dinner!" Announced Peeta happily, he opened the little door to his carriage and held his hand for Katniss to take and helped her on. "I will be seeing you in a couple of hours Sir Gale! Sir Boggs, I will see you, much later!" He laughed, and jumped into his coach, tapping it in signal for the driver to go.

Johanna mounted her horse, and followed the coach out the palace courtyard. Once outside the Palace grounds, she approached the window of the cabin, tapping it lightly. She could see Katniss looking out the window, lost in her thoughts and Peeta just watching her with concern in his gaze. Both passengers were brought back to the present as Johanna's knuckles made light contact with the glass of the small window. Peeta tapped the roof to signal his driver to stop. Then carefully, he opened the door of the carriage; before he could do or say anything Johanna dismounted, poked her head into the cabin and spoke.

"Peeta, darling..." ' _Well, shit... She never called him Peeta unless she was worried about him_ ' "I suppose you and Miss Everdeen have not had a chance to speak about today's events... I was thinking, perhaps a private stroll around the lake and the woods would do you both some good. You can talk without interruptions or fear of being overheard; the lake will be deserted. Nobody likes to go there during this in-between time, when winter is receding but is not quite spring yet, the weather is too cold for grass to grow and too humid for snow and the ground is hard frozen or icy mud. What say you?" Her voice was even and sure as she spoke, he looked at Katniss raising an eyebrow in question. It took her only a second to give instructions to where she wanted to go exactly, before they were on route.

At their destination, descending the coach, Katniss looked at Johanna, and asked her if she was going to join them in their walk, to which the older woman declined. Then Katniss asked if it would be alright to take Peeta a little deeper into the woods... these were her woods, the ones she used to hunt in when the need for food grew precarious. Johanna merely dismounted and went over to Peeta, handed him her sword and Katniss a small but mean looking knife that she pulled out of her boot.

"Just in case" she smirked. "I wish I had a bow and arrows for you Brainless, but alas... This is all I have apart from my trusty ax and my standard issued Knight's dagger. Take your time, I will be here." She nudged them in the direction of the dense trees, and they were hidden from view fairly quickly.

Katniss was the first to speak, but she surprised both of them with the opening topic. "March first will be next week... A week after that, it would be five months since I arrived at Winter Home. It is strange to come back here, to my home, except, it is not home anymore... It feels... Alien. Or maybe I am the alien here; it feels as if I do not belong anymore. When I first left the Capitol behind, I thought I would miss it terribly, but in truth I never did. I fell in love with Winter Home right away... With its people, and it's... Master..." She gave him a quick glance, he was watching her while trying to hike alongside her quietly. They walked a few more paces and she stopped abruptly, speaking again. "It took me a long time to fully trust you, Peeta. Sometimes I still have moments of doubt... I get scared, and I think that you finally have decided I am not worth your time or that I am only your plaything..." She swiped furiously at the few tears that started trickling down her cheeks. "And... I get SO jealous! I can hardly keep my anger in check; all I want to do is shoot the witch right through her shiny green eye! And then... it turns out, she is my cousin?" She screamed the last bit at him. "Why would you not tell me such and important thing? You knew! You knew this whole time!" She accused, landing a few punches on his chest as she raged against him. He did not defend himself; he only let her work out her frustration and anger.

"That is why it is so important to you I keep my ancestry hidden! So she cannot claim the ineligibility of my person as your future bride for too close a kinship... Why the hell did you keep that from me? What other secrets are there that I am not privy to?" She finally ceased her attack on him, turning away, placing one hand on her waist while the other rubbed her eyes harshly. Then she screamed in his face "What about Prince Cato wanting to ruin my sister's future? What about my Father's death? I keep hearing hints about something in relation to my father's death, and YOU will not let anyone tell me shit about it!" His expression was pained, but that just made him look guilty, which made her even angrier. "TALK GODDAMN IT! TALK!"

She threw a couple more punches directly on his hard chest before his arms encircled her tenderly, protectively, and her knees buckled under the pressure of all she was feeling. Only his arms kept her up. He picked her up bridal style and walked her to a nearby fallen tree where he sat placing her on his lap. Her face had been buried in his chest while she cried bitterly, and he finally started to answer her questions.

"Katniss, I am so absolutely sorry for betraying your trust, believe me when I say, nothing I do or abstain from doing or saying, has to do with your level of maturity or because I do not think you can handle the information. There is nothing further from my reasons, and maybe I have been wrong that there are certain things you are better off not knowing... But I will tell you everything. From the inconsequential, like: what can be done in bed with rope; but also the important things,  such as: Cashmere and your familial ties, Cato's marriage proposal to Prim and my response, and finally the theory of your Father's murder. Which," he held her face in his hands, forcing her damp grey eyes to focus on his serious concerned blue ones "It is only that, a theory, a tale some disgruntled soldiers have started to share between themselves. There is no proof of anything; I need you to understand that..." He waited for her to answer; she just nodded a wet face, in assent.

"Where do you want me to begin, my dear?" He asked softly while caressing her cheek.

"My F-father..." She whispered.

With a deep breath he nodded and started his explanation. "Apparently, a few of the soldiers and knights believe that the explosion was not an accident at all." She slowly straightened up, sitting on the very edge of his knees and her face was serious. "It is said that the circumstances surrounding the accident were suspicious. First, the explosion was too big, some think there had to have been another component to it, the theory is that a stick of dynamite was used, as it would not stand out much, and then the rest of the powder would react in a successive chain. Others point out that the explosion was strategically localized to a far off corner of the yard, which is not much to go on, as it was a no brainer to store black powder in an isolated side of the grounds, it just... Makes sense." He took another breath, "it is all very speculative, and no one has any hard evidence, but... There are irregularities, things that do not match up... There are a few people trying to dig up what clues they can to try and see if there is anything there."

"Who?" Her voice was scratchy from crying and yelling.

"Gale... and a couple other Knights, but... Gale has been denied access to some reports. And the ones he has found, the files have been altered... There is something suspicious in that, we just do not know what... But rumor has it, your Father was asked to be part of some sort of death squad, and he refused... There are no records of that anywhere, but he was a very well-known man, and his name now is a warning for those who disobey... Once again my darling..." He held her face in his hands tenderly again, "It is all speculation, hearsay... Until Captain Gale or his men find solid evidence, we should not believe the rumors, alright?" She nodded, but now there was a seed of fear planted in her mind.

"Next... I am sorry I did not tell you about Cashmere. Your mother is of course aware of who Cashmere is and she is aware of who her parents were. Perhaps she can clarify a few things for you once we get back home, but for now, I can tell you, Cashmere was Margaret's favorite cousin. Everyone knew about Cashmere's terrible reputation that she had acquired by the age of fourteen. Madge always defended her, always said that people had the wrong idea and that she was not a rotten apple, just... misunderstood." At that point, Peeta slipped Katniss off his lap, and sat her next to him, he then stood up, and paced for a bit. "Cashmere, was too young, too angry, and confused, Madge was the only person to show her any affection for a long time, so she developed... Feelings for Madge... When Madge told her that she loved me, well... Cashmere lost it. She hated me. By then Haymitch had taken an interest in her, Madge was Maysilee's favorite, as she was her twin's daughter, but Haymitch had a soft spot for misguided, motherless Cashmere. He came to be the only man that was interested in her as a father or an uncle, and not as a sexual toy. She latched on to him, but then, Madge and I got engaged, and once again, she flipped. She was hell bent on showing her that all man, including me where cheaters and cared for nothing but bedding a woman... Any woman..." He stopped his pacing, sighed, and bit his lip. "She told Madge I was going to let her down. She found some letters Delly had written to me, begging me to reconsider my betrothal, and gave them to her... We were supposed to meet at the stables that morning and go for a ride... She decided to go alone... Clear her mind and then to confront me about the letters. Something happened to her horse's saddle... It was supposed to be my horse, I was supposed to be there five minutes earlier, I could have caught her before she took off. Cashmere miscalculated the effect her actions would carry... And Madge died."

Katniss voice came broken and sad, "Cashmere and Margaret were kin... Just as I am to both of them... How...?"

"How was I permitted to marry her?" She nodded silently. "I was not married to Madge, merely engaged, but then, it did not matter at the end... Once the previous intended is dead, the familial ties only help... It is some ridiculous law that says that in case a man widows, he can take a wife from the same family... But by contrast, if you divorce someone, you cannot marry with in the same family. It is stupid... As many antiquated laws in our system are that need revising."

"How are we going to get past it, then? We cannot very well kill Cashmere in order to wed ourselves!" She said with a little more steadiness and heat behind her words.

He looked at her and smiled, he kneeled in front of her. "Are you still willing to become my wife, after that rant about not trusting me?" She could see the apprehension behind the smile.

"Peeta... If I know something to be true, it is that I want to be the only woman to call you husband, the only woman to touch you. I am going insane with anger every time she places a hand on you and calls you husband... I hate it!" She crossed her arms and pouted. He smiled at that and kissed her forehead.

"There is a loophole!" He said standing up, "If I find enough evidence of Cashmere's infidelity I can have the marriage annulled instead a mere divorce, she would get nothing from me... I have been planning on proposing a deal to her... I will hold on to my evidence, and she would hold her tongue! She would get whatever amount of money she desires in return for her staying away from us. I know that wealth is what she cares the most about right now. She will not risk being left with no Coin and no shelter, she will acquiesce! I am confident of that!"

"What if that fails?" She asked still unsure.

"It will not fail!" He responded quickly.

"How do you know? Lady Glimmer reckons she is planning something, she just had no idea what."

"Lady Glimmer? I see she was full of... advice today..." He muttered.

"What do you mean?" She asked standing next to him.

"Nothing..." He smiled at her and caressed her face.

"Peeta... There is something I do not understand... You said that the Earl took an interest in Cashmere, but... He despises her now... And I could not fail to notice, how strangely she acts around him, like she is seeking his approval?" She asked pensively.

He smiled sadly and turned away from her a moment, rubbing his temple with one hand.

"Maysilee took Madge's death very hard. Her sister had died from a brain tumor a few years back. She had not been able to conceive a child of her own, and then Madge... She was devastated. She got sick with melancholy. And then one day she was out running errands in town where she happened to come into a clothier parlor, and accidentally walked into a dressing room where she found the then sixteen year old Cashmere, half naked, being grouped by some seventy year old banker who was in the same state of undress as her. Cashmere of course threw a fit, instead of apologizing to Maysilee, she cussed her out. She told her Maysilee had ruined everything, and that she knew she did not truly care what was to happen to her, for she was only concerned with Madge. Maysilee fled the parlor, very upset, and did not look where she stepped and she fell on the road, just as a horse carriage was rushing by... She got trampled... Broke many bones, ripped a lung... She did not last very long. Haymitch could never love Cashmere anymore after that, he only saw her as an attention seeking harlot... I know for a fact, she did not do those things of her own free will... Madge used to hint of it, later in life, I realized she was right. But, I still cannot feel anything other than anger towards her, especially after she started messing with our lives the way she has been doing it."

She was not looking at him, her eyes where fixed on the ground, but he could clearly see the wheels turning in her head. After a moment her gaze found his.

"Cashmere, is attracted to women romantically?" She asked the question, but there was little doubt in her eyes.

"Correct..." He whispered. "She does like men as well, but, she prefers females... Does that... Surprise you?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"Not really... But, it now makes me a little uncomfortable. She got a little too close to me after my arrival... She, um... Started asking questions about our... sexual behavior. She claimed it was because she wanted to make sure I was pleasing to you, and then... She squeezed my bottom... Hard... She laughed at me when I sprang away from her; she said it was a joke, but... I had that happened to me before... The man that did it got his hand pierced through with one of my arrows." Katniss crossed her arms over her chest, and scowled mightily. He was not sure if he was horrified for her, angry on her behalf, or proud for defending herself against the pig that tried to get fresh with her.

"The thing I hate about all of this... Is that... With that man, I knew he deserved to get his hand ran through, he had it coming! But... Cashmere could manhandle me and there is not much I can do to defend myself... The King and the Prince looked at me like I was a piece of meat and I could not hurdle insults in their direction... I felt exposed and defenseless, Peeta, and when you said that you would sell me out to them..." She started twisting her hands nervously, her heart was racing and she could not finish her thought, but she did not need to, his arms were there around her, protectively. She was safe now, but the seed of fear that had been planted in her brain a moment ago had started growing roots. ' _For how long can his arms be a source of protection?'_

"I would never do anything as heinous as trade a person's life as if it was currency, sweetheart, least of all you and Prim." He tighten his hold on her, and she felt his own heart race uncontrollably, maybe he was thinking the same think she had been thinking. "I am sorry I was not there to keep Cashmere's dirty paws off you. I will forbid her to ever speak to you alone, from now on there has to be someone present with you, if you ever find yourself in this situation again... Hopefully, it will not be much longer... And I guess... It is time for me to tell you about Prince Cato and his vile marriage proposal." He brought them back to the fallen long and then sat on it, his arms still around her shoulders.

"The day I arrived at the Capitol, Cato had me brought to the Palace... that is how I ended up befriending Captain Hawthorne... Cato made some lewd comments about you, Gale held me back when I wanted to rip his head off, then I returned the favor... Cato is desperately trying to find a bride that his advisors like, and more importantly the King would approve of. Originally he was betrothed to that woman, Lady Clove Collins... But her parents started writing propaganda against certain customs practiced by some affluent families, such as servant trading, equal rights for woman... mostly things that people should seriously rally for. Needless to say, they fell out of grace with Court, so now they write _fictitious_ political novels. The King cannot shut them down completely; he would look like a right tyrant. This left Cato with a broken engagement, which back then he took as a blessing, but now... seems to regret."

"That is some tale!" She said with one eyebrow raised. "Glimmer did not seem to care much for him..." She said softly.

"How much did you and this Lady Glimmer talk?" He asked curiously, his hand rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Enough to know that she does not trust anyone around her, and that she loves her unborn child above anything, and to make me think about..." She stopped dead in her tracks, she whispered. "She told me to make sure I was keeping myself... Healthy..." She frowned. She remembered one of Cashmere's questions from the day before, ' _Does he take you during your menses, some men are into that kind of thing?_ ' She looked at Peeta and another seed of terror germinated in her mind, _'I have not gotten my monthly'._ Peeta saw the fear flash in her eyes.

"What is wrong, Katniss? What else did she say?" ' _Cashmere wants you pregnant! Why? I do not know. But it cannot be good_ ' was the thing that filled her mind and choked the air out of her lungs. 

"She... She told me to run... That the time would come, and I will have to run" her voice was barely audible... It was not a lie, this she was told by Glimmer as well. She did not need to worry him with the other thing, as improbable as it was, ' _they HAD been_ _careful, it could NOT be_ **that** _... besides, a woman could miss cycles if under stress, or underfed, or sick... she was hardly regular to begin with... She was being silly... It was definitely not_ **that** _!_ ', she assured herself.

Peeta sighed. "She said the same thing to me... But... We still have time Sweetheart, Cashmere gave you a year, in which we can come up with a plan, and we will make sure to keep Prim safe as well..." He then kneeled in front of her. "Katniss... I swear to you, I will protect you with my life. I will lie through my teeth to the King and the Prince and the whole kingdom of Panem, if it will keep you safe!"

 

=========================

 

Dinner with the Hawthornes, had brought a bit of happiness to Katniss. The prospect of seeing Hazelle and the boys was what kept her fueled and going.

After they returned to their coach and went back to the Village, she was exhausted. She played with Posy for a few minutes, but then, Effie and Haymitch came in to fuss over the little girl, with more dolls, sweets and little outfits... It was like they were releasing a lifelong of repressed attentions on the poor child. It did not help that Peeta joined them, and after hearing her talking about Vick boasting about his impeccable story telling abilities, he launched into a Princess and unicorns story just for Posy.

"If you all will excuse me" she said standing up, "I will take my leave and go rest for a bit before getting ready for supper" she announced. Everyone looked up at her.

"Are you alright, my Lady? Do you still feel sick from our travels yesterday?" Came the prompt response of a concerned Lady Trinket. She had rushed to Katniss and was now feeling her forehead with the back of her hand as if to discover a fever.

"I am quite alright, my Lady. I am just very tired. It has been an emotionally charged day, and I really hope to be as refreshed as possible when our company arrives." She said calmly.

"Very well, would you like..." She breathed deeply, as if she was regretting her words before she spoke them, "Dame Mason to accompany you?" Johanna, who had been sitting... Lounging, really... in a comfortable wing chair, with her legs hanging over the armrests while reading a book, snickered without even looking up from her book.

"Oh... Not at all... Dame Mason looks like she is... Enjoying her afternoon off! Plus... We will have the night to share conversation once my Lord heads out for his... Social engagement."

"Social engagement?" Effie asked puzzled.

"Yes! Thank you for reminding me of it my Lady... I was meaning to ask Lord Abernathy if he would like to join me and Sir Hawthorne for a nightcap... At Madame Jackson's tonight?" He gave Haymitch a pointed look, it was fleeting, but it was there, and Katniss knew what she saw.

The Earl merely looked at him, before smiling "Finally doing something fun, boy?"

Peeta rolled his eyes, "Is that a yes?" He asked a little forcefully.

"Of course it is a yes... There is going to be booze, you can count him in!" The amused singsong voice of Johanna floated to them from behind her book. Posy gasped.

"Mother does not like it when Gale partakes in spirits! She says is not good for anyone!" She protested, and then with terror in her eyes, sputtered quickly "I am so sorry! I-I-I did not mean to Speak out of turn..." Her eyes filled with tears, she was sobbing and Katniss was practically knocked aside when Effie pushed her way to the little girl. So did Haymitch... And Johanna... Whose book flew two feet in the air before landing unceremoniously in the mahogany floors of the library... Peeta had scooped up the crying girl in his lap.

It was unreal to see all these people, scrambling to console and reassure little Posy. Unconsciously Katniss rested a hand in her stomach. ' _They would be doing the exact same thing, if she was my child.'_ The thought made her choke up, and feel the air leave her lungs. She could hear Glimmer speak while rubbing her belly _'I would do anything for my child... Run! She wants you pregnant, I do not know why'_ in an instant she felt the floor leave her feet, she was on her bum, dizzy and hyperventilating, someone was fanning air on her face, she opened her eyes that had been tightly shut, to find Effie's honey brown eyes locked onto hers.

"There! That is a good girl... Let us sit you up on the couch!" She felt Effie's cool fingers brush her face for a moment. "You are very pale my dear, we need to get some food into you and bring you to your chamber for that nap you said you needed." She was sounding like her mother did when treating a patient, firm but with enough affection in her voice, as if to show that she truly cared.

"What...?"

"You are alright, you just... Lost your bearings for a moment, and came back right away. I think it was a panic attack... All you need to do is rest, and you will be right as rain."

"Peeta?"

"Ri-Right here... I am right here!" His voice was choked up, but he kneeled next to her at once.

"I want to go to sleep... Can you take me there?" She asked weakly.

"Yes, I will." Without further discussion he picked her up, bridal style, and walked her to their chamber.

"Posy?" She asked in a whisper.

"Haymitch and Johanna took her away, before she noticed anything was amiss... But, she might be suspicious" he smiled a little, "She is smart, you know." He said softly.

Entering their chamber, he deposited her in the bed, and hovered about, trying to get her comfortable. He then sat at her side, looking away from her. Elbows on his knees, his face buried into his hands.

"Lay down with me" she whispered. He did. He embraced her tightly for good measure.

"Baby... What is going on with you? You keep... Scaring me like this. I do not know what to do. I feel helpless. Please... Is there... Anything... Wrong?" He was begging.

"I am alright Peeta. I am exhausted, and all the stress of the last two days has drained my energy... I just wanted to be back at home... Right here, in bed with you." She said nuzzling his chest. "I am fine, when I feel you are next to me"

At 5:30 on the dot, they were standing by the front door, welcoming the Hawthornes. Katniss rushed to embrace Hazelle, who was only forty eight years of age, but a life or hardship had made her once beautiful face develop deep wrinkles. Katniss noticed right away that her hands were not their typical red and raw from washing other people’s laundry for a living. Hazelle's hands were calloused, and rough, but spoke of hard work.

"Your hands... Look so much better!" Katniss exclaimed after greeting the Hawthorne matriarch with a hug and a kiss in each cheek.

"I have not laundered any other people's clothing outside of my family! Since Gale got promoted to Captain, he insisted I... Retire, So I obliged!" The older woman smiled fondly patting her cheek.

"Momma! Momma! You are here, and my brothers as well!" Little Posy rushed at top speed into the foyer to greet her family.

"Oh, heavens! Posy dear... Remember your manners!" The mother admonished, but then hugged her daughter in an embrace only mothers know how to dispense.

Katniss moved to greet Rory and Vick who were standing tall and proud behind their Mother and in front of their older brother, who had accompany them there from home.

Rory bowed politely at her and gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen in the boy's face, "Hiya there Kat!" He whispered as she embraced him. "Dukedom agrees with you!" He said quietly into her ear, and she laughed merrily.

"When did you get so to be such a smart mouth?" She asked not as quietly as he had spoken. His smiled falter a little and with downcast eyes he answered.

"I got to get my wits about myself the day my best friend left for good, to become a Healer... Without Prim to speak up for me, I had to find my own voice." At the moment that voice was soft, but not doubtful.

"Well... I am proud of you! By the way, Prim sent you a letter," she quickly produced an envelope that had been sitting on a credenza-like table lining the wall of the foyer. "Here... If you desire to write a response just let me know, and I will provide you with paper and ink." She winked at him, and his smile returned full force.

"Thank you, Katniss. You are always the best!" She could only return his smile.

She hugged Vick next, she could hear Posy gushing about her new doll to her mother in the background, she knew how Hazelle felt about handouts, and she was trying to get back to her before she could do anything harsh, like try to return the doll and clothes and ribbons and offend Effie and Haymitch in the process.

"Vick! You are so big! Almost as tall as Gale!" She cried as she pulled the lanky teen into her arms. The boy's chest puffed out and his face sported a self-satisfied grin.

"You think?" He asked with very little doubt in his voice, Gale rolled his eyes behind him, and chuckled as he mussed his baby brother's mop of black hair, effectively undoing all of their mother's effort to tamed the unruly hair on her son's head. To this, Vick called her to tattle on Gale, as soon as she saw the messy hair, she gave Gale her patented 'oh-you-are-so-in-trouble!-wait-until-we-are-home' gaze. Gale only flinched for a second and then smiled at her, combing his brother's hair back into some sort of order.

"Sorry" he muttered to Hazelle. Katniss tried hard to conceal her amusement, but one look into Vick's disgruntled face, pawing away Gale's hand from his head, and she lost it. She laughed hard and loud.

"Well, I see that my lady is happy!" The deep, smooth voice of the Duke filled the entire foyer. All the Hawthornes bowed in greeting "This is already a very good omen for our night! Shall we?" He extended his hand in the direction of the house, "I would like to introduce you all to Lord Abernathy and Lady Trinket... Please follow me!" He gave them a smile, and they all followed his lead.

Posy asked shyly if she would be allowed to introduce her mother to _Uncle_ _Haymitch_ and _Aunt Effie_ , Peeta smiled at her and said she was welcome to do it. He directed a quick look at Effie and raised his eyebrow at her, she detested to be called Effie, she shrugged, but smiled broadly at the child. So, it was with great pride, Posy stood very straight, like Effie undoubtedly had thought her, and started her spiel. She only got Effie's title wrong, but did splendid with Haymitch. Katniss smirked at the two.

"So, Auntie Effie and Uncle Haymitch?" She said quietly so only they and Peeta would hear. Effie blushed a bit, but Haymitch shrugged.

"Do not have any one else to dote on and spend my coin on... Might as well pamper a little girl that deserves it." Was the Earl's answer.

"Plus... Walking around the Capitol's stores... there are just so many pretty things for a child! It is a pity to not have one to spoil! _My child_ is all grown up and has his own lady looking after him. I figure I could... Direct my affections elsewhere." Effie responded curtly. Peeta pursed his lips holding back his laughter, and Katniss blinked for a moment, as Effie's comment took shape and sense in her head, then she smiled embarrassedly.

Johanna was introduced to the Hawthornes as well, she was visibly nervous, but it was the best behaved anyone had ever seen her act... "Since she was a teen!" Informed Effie puzzled. Katniss shot her a look that made her friend so uncomfortable she tried to kick her under the table, kicking Peeta's leg instead.

"Johanna! What in the hell is the matter with you?" He hissed through his teeth while rubbing his shin.

She responded with and equally annoyed harsh whisper, "Tell Brainless to leave me the fuck alone!"

Other than that small spat, dinner had passed as a comfortable happy meal, everyone had part in the conversations, the food was delectable, the stories were unusually age appropriate, and there had been laughter the whole time. After dessert had been served, eaten and cleared, Hazelle thanked the Duke profusely for the invitation. Katniss knew for a fact they had never been to such a fancy dinner in their lives, and she was thankful for the warm welcome they all received not just from Peeta, but from Effie and Haymitch as well.

After saying their goodbyes, Hazelle pulled Katniss aside for a moment. With her rough working-woman's hands framing the young lady's face, she spoke softly.

"My dear, I had been so worried about you. I never wanted a life of hardship for any of my children, and you and Primrose are like my children. When you left home, I feared what a life as a concubine would do to you, but I am glad, it was the Duke you were sent to. He is a good man. He has managed to charm my boys, especially Gale, who I thought was going to be sick with grief over you." She subtly let her hand run the shorten length of Katniss's braid, and Katniss's breathing stuttered. "Gale is convinced that the Duke will make an honest woman out of you once he straightens his mess of a marriage with that... Duchess Lady..." Katniss let out a breathy laughed and felt a tear roll down her cheek that Hazelle quickly wiped away. "If my Gale trusts the Duke... So do I. I am proud of you for being brave and taking care of your family, when no else did. I wish it had been different, but life is never fair. I am happy I got to see you, Katniss." She kissed her forehead. And before she could walk away, Katniss pulled her back to her for a tight hug. Hazelle had fixed them so many meals out of roots and scrawny squirrels that were barely enough for her family, but Prim, her Mother and her, they always had a place in Hazelle's already cramped table.

"I have missed you so much!" She whispered into the older woman's neck. "Please... Come see me at Merch... I will treat you like a queen!" They both laughed and Katniss let go.

"I would like that, sweet child. I would truly like that!"

Peeta was attuning last minute details for his night out with Gale and his friends. "I have taken the liberty to invite the Earl of Seam to share a drink with us, hope that us alright with you, Sir Gale"

"It is perfectly alright, my Lord. The more friends... The merrier!" He said with a nod, it was odd that a comment that should have been spoken with a smile, had been delivered with such seriousness, but it was Gale after all, he was never one for smiling.

 

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Nine o'clock at night, found a group of men gathered in a tavern, sharing a few pitchers of ale. What made the otherwise mundane event noteworthy was how quiet that corner of the tavern had been the whole time. There had been a few big laughs here and there, but nothing boisterous, as anyone would expect from a group of potentially drunk men. This lot had been quiet and semi discreet... Not so discreet after all, as they had got the unwanted attention of possibly the worse person to get noticed by in that particular night.

A very drunk Prince Cato approached their table, of course Haymitch had been the first one to see him, and cracked a joke in the middle of a heated conversation that caught everyone's attention. Some thought Haymitch was drunk and incoherent, but soon they noticed the staggering man walking in their direction, a few of them laughed, others just shook their head and grunted. Peeta knowing that they must have looked suspiciously quiet and enthralled in their conversation raked his brain for a suitable topic that would keep men immersed in thought and looking this serious, he came up with...

"All I am saying is that if Captain Gale here keeps boasting about his hunting skills with a bow and arrow, I am going to have to challenge him to a friendly competition!" There! Most of these men look like they knew about hunting, whether for sport like him or as a means to feed their families as he knew by Katniss's stories Gale was proficient at, it was a good bet, and everyone would have a set opinion about it and defend it fiercely. Gale was taken aback for a moment, but understanding dawned in his gaze as he saw the Prince getting closer.

"Oh no my Lord... You got it wrong! Bow and arrows is Katniss's thing, I am more adept at snares and traps... That is a method that requires finesse!" He said with a sly smile in his face. Peeta was right, everyone had their own preferred ways of hunting, as one by one the men either shake their heads in disagreement or laughed at the notion. The men had caught on to the change in topic quite quickly, and they were responding believably.

"My favorite way of providing meat to my table, is going out to my corral of geese, picking a fat one and being done with it! That is the reason I raise poultry and some cattle! I have no time whatsoever to be out on the wild chasing animals... Too much effort!" Said the gruff voice of Haymitch, leaning back into his chair, lifting his tankard to his lips, he turned to the red headed maid that kept rushing from one place to the other, behind the counter serving her other patrons. "Hey there lass! Bring us a round of your cheapest whiskey!" The other eight men reunited at the table hooted and laughed, raising their own drinking cups in celebration. Cato finally made his presence known.

"Cousin, fancy meeting you here... Socializing with..."

"The bravest men in Panem! My beloved Cousin!" Peeta cut him off, as he stood up slurring his speech exaggeratedly knocking his chair down loudly. He gave Cato a bear hug, and all the men at the table stood and bowed in greeting to the Prince, and did not sit down until He had waved them back. Peeta asked him if he wanted to join their table.

"We were just comparing anecdotes on our hunting experiences! Some of us are quite good! Others... Not so much!" He pointed at Haymitch and laughed loudly; Cato just put his arm around his cousin's shoulders and laughed drunkenly with him. "Lord Abernathy and I came in for a nightcap, and found the illustrious Master Latier sitting here with Captain Hawthorne... And I am just a big follower of his inventions. A great admirer, I had to come say hello! And then one thing led to another, and now we are trying to decide which hunting method is best!" The rest of the men agreed raising their cups once more.

"My Lord Abernathy! I almost did not recognized you... You look... Old!" The men laughed and Haymitch smiled.

"Lavinia! Forget their cheap whiskey... Bring your best one!" Yelled the Prince at the top of his lungs, he then turned to whisper into Peeta's ear, loud enough that everyone in a two feet radius could hear, "If the wench was of a more respectable family... I would have fucked her into oblivion ages ago... She has got the sweetest bosom!" He cackled, Peeta turned to look at the table, as he heard the scratching of chairs, he saw how Gale, Boggs and a knight by the surname of Mitchell, restrained back one of the men at the table... Darius... The same Peacekeeper that accompanied Peeta to the Capitol a couple of weeks back... Peeta looked up in time to see the maid, Lavinia with same red hair, and blue friendly eyes as Darius... His sister he surmised. His jaw tightened, and he shot the Peacekeeper an apologetic look.

Darius backed down, at his sister's smile. She had undoubtedly heard the lewd remark. "Here you go gentlemen! Enjoy!" She sat down a bottle of whiskey and sauntered away quickly.

Haymitch opened it and poured the amber liquid into the tankards that were offered to him. They requested one for the Prince, but he refused, saying his bodyguard, Brutus, had been trying to get him to return to the Palace before eleven, it would not do for the crown Prince to be wandering the streets of the Capitol at midnight. They all feigned disappointment.

"I just saw you here, my dear Pete, and thought how peculiar your company was... Then again... It is you and the Earl of Seam... Neither of you seem to take your birth right into much esteem when it comes to... Social standings," he laughed heartily still very drunk, "At least they're not peasants!" was followed by more laughter. Peeta laughed, and the rest of the table laughed.

"When do you plan to return to Merch?" He demanded.

"Two days. I have some errands to run. Then I am taking Miss Everdeen to acquire a few things we need for the new Healing Center, and to the textile shop, she wanted some materials for spring wardrobe... Women! Right?" He said mockingly and there was more laughter.

"Shit! You are getting ripped off cousin! ... If I was fucking that sweet piece of ass, I would want her tied up naked on my bed at all times! She would have no need for clothing... Ever!" He laughed and licked his lips, Peeta felt Haymitch twitch in his chair, Gale's eyes were burning in rage, then Cato kept talking. "When I marry her little sister, I know she will not be able to walk for a month. I am going to destroy her in an hour! I cannot wait Cousin! I told Cashmere tonight as she was leaving my chamber, that I had a new favorite... Katniss Everdeen! But I will be happy to fuck her sister instead!" He laughed and clipped Peeta in the back, it was taking all of the will power in his body to stay put and keep the murderous urge at bay. Cato needed to leave before he snapped.

"Lavinia, darling... Whatever was consumed in this table! I will pay for it! I will be back to see you soon my pet!" Cato slurred loudly over the hubbub of the busy bar. Lavinia merely smiled and waved at the Prince.

"Safe travels cousin! I will call upon you soon to see where the deal for my future bride stands! I will take no for an answer!" Then he turned around and left, stumbling as he could not walk straight. Every man in the table was quiet. Darius, finally picked up the expensive bottle that his sister had placed on the table not five minutes earlier, and lobbed it against the wall next to him. The sound of shattered glass had a satisfying quality, and everyone seem to relish it, while the streaks of wet brown-gold liquid lazily dripped down the wooded paneled wall.

No one spoke, they just silently stood up and wrapped themselves into their respective coats or cloaks and left the tavern one by one. Their business was already done. The wheels were already set in motion. It was a matter of time and luck now. But soon. Very soon.

 

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Peeta entered his chamber on tip-toes, it had been so long since he had gone to bed so much later than Katniss, and it felt wrong on some level. Although it was a perfectly fine thing, for a man to have a night out with friends once in a while, he had just never done it while in a relationship, while his wife was left home, and had gone to bed alone.

He quickly undressed and slipped into the covers next to her, but she turned around as soon as the mattress dipped, groggily she rubbed the sleep off her eyes and smiled at him sweetly.

 _ **"You're back,** "_ He felt his heart swell and fill with emotion, she stretched her hand and let it rest on his soft cotton covered chest, and he leaned into her and kissed her softly.

"I am sorry I am so late sweetheart." He said quietly, kissing her cheek.

"It is alright... Did you have a good time?" She asked while combing her fingers lazily through his hair. He sighed, not sure if in relief or chagrin remembering Cato's intrusion.

"It was alright. I like Gale's friends. But at the very end, right before we said our good nights, Prince Cato approached us... He made some very rude comments about the waitress, which happened to be related to one of the men at our table... He had to be held back by a few of his friends before he did something stupid that could had lead him to jail and possibly the noose." He shook his head in a sad manner. "The Prince will be more hated than the King himself one day, people will get fed up and revolt if he does not change his ways. Sadly, I do not see that happening, he has no advisors to guide him, and the ones he has, are no good at all." He finally lay on his back, his eyes fixed on the chandelier on the ceiling. Katniss sat up a little next to him, her hand sliding up and down his chest slowly.

"Well... Maybe it will fall on you to be the voice of reason one day... I am sure you can use that sensible tongue of yours to make a great argument that will compel him to change his ways." She started kissing his jaw, then descending on his neck, he sighed again.

"Not very probable, but... It would be worth a try." He whispered, as she untied the neck of his under shirt, and let the tips of her fingers tease the soft hair on his chest. Her lips found his areola and his hands went to twist in her unbound hair.

"I think. Anything you say. Would be. Beneficial... Your words. Might stay in his. Subconscious. And maybe. That would be. Enough" while she talked, she had kissed, licked, nipped, and nuzzled her way down his torso, and was now relieving him of his underpants, she had not quite removed his top, but she needed his bottoms gone.

He did not object when she pulled his clothing off, merely lifting his hips to assist her. She took him in her hand, and kissed the top of his erection that was completely extended. A drop of moisture had gathered there, and she licked it, causing him to jerk his hips upwards.

"Oh, sweetheart... That feels... Out of this world, but, you do not have... Mmmmm" he stopped his talking when he felt himself being enveloped in wet warmth.

After Hazelle, Gale and the children left, she had dragged Johanna to her bedchamber, at first that had made Johanna incredibly uncomfortable, but, she said it was the most appropriate room in the house to have the next conversation with her. She of course drilled her about Gale and her infatuation with him, to which she had finally fessed up after a lot of whining, complaining, threatening and begging. Apparently Johanna had had her eye on the young Captain since he had joined the ranks. They had actually fooled around a little, but when he became a Knight, he decided that their fling could not continue. She had strayed from engaging in carnal relations with any other man after, hoping for him to re-initiate their abandoned relationship. Katniss of course vowed to help her friend in that respect, as she had seen Gale react strangely when Johanna had been around.

The next topic to be discussed was sex. Katniss had a few questions, that she asked with a very red face, going as far as instructing Johanna to look away from her while she covered her face with a pillow when the question was extremely embarrassing. She had gotten all the answers Johanna could provide, and maybe it was because Katniss had not made fun of her for having feelings for Gale, instead encouraging her to pursue him further, but to her Credit, and Katniss’ never ending gratefulness and relief, every word she spoke, she did with a straight face, and a matter-of-fact tone. This time Katniss asked for tips, which broke Johanna's determination a little, and had to smile for a moment before giving ideas and instructions.

That was what, had motivated her to take him her mouth at that moment. She was going to put to the test all her newly acquired tips, and she was going to experiment a little and see how he reacted to her. She really wanted to please him, and weird as it was, in doing this, she felt relaxed and she forgot all of the nastiness from the last two days... When she was twisting her tongue around his manhood, caressing his thighs and testicles, hollowing her cheeks to compress his flesh inside her mouth, and he let out his strangled gasps and cussed like a sailor, nothing else mattered. The King and his plans did not exist, neither did the Prince or Cashmere, or her fears, nothing existed in that moment, only him and her.

She let go of him and rose on her knees, she crawled the length of his legs straddling him, and once seated on his pelvic bone, she slowly lifted up her nightgown and tossed it aside; she was bare before him, just like he liked her. His hands went to her hips, and slid all the way up to her breasts; he sat up and placed his hands on her face and at the base of her nape, and kissed her, tenderly, lovingly. They both re-adjusted their position, and without breaking their kiss, he had buried himself deep in her moisture. They did not move for a moment, just kissed. Then she started to undulate her body back and forth in slow motions. They both sighed, gasped and kissed and their hands were at each other's faces. It was not frantic or fast or hard. It was sweet and loving and quiet, and it took him a very long time to start feeling the tickling signs of his impending release. He kissed her jaw, her throat, her chest, he took one of her breast in his mouth and softly sucked. She moaned. And his thumb found its way to her fleshy button. When their orgasms came, they felt it together; it was satisfying and more than enough for both. He laid them on their side, still connected, arms tightly wrapped around each other, and there were no words, just the soft quiet breaths, of two sleeping lovers, that had had a very long day.

 

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Thursday morning came with rain and winds. She was afraid they would have to cancel their trip to Sea Breeze. She had been excited about the prospect of going to Quattro, no matter that Peeta had warned her that the weather might be nasty there as well. She could not fathom how the coast would be as nasty as the Capitol, if it practically was spring already.

 

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 _Lady Trinket and the Earl had left the day before; it had been a beautiful day then, with sunny clear skies and spring like temperatures. (She would wish the next day, they had gone then as well) but they needed to run errands around town, and she was serving as his guide, which was strange as she was sure he knew how to navigate the busy streets of the Capitol on his own perfectly well. Peeta claimed that she knew short cuts and how to avoid the more crowded areas, perhaps it was true, maybe it was not, but he followed her everywhere with a huge smile on his face, while she briskly walked on the stone tiled sidewalks of her hometown. Every now and then she would point out a window display and made a comment about who was a good customer to trade which goods with, and who was cheap in their trades. She stopped and sighed at one particular store, it sold toys, she said they had the most beautiful kites in Panem (he wondered how did she came to that conclusion as she had not seen the rest of the toy stores that sold kites in Panem... He_ _found it endearing nonetheless). She told him a long story about how her Father would bring her and Prim in the store to look at the different designs they had, and then go home to replicate them as best they could on their own homemade kites, then go fly them together on nice spring days, she sighed again..._

_"Those where some of the happiest days of my childhood!" She started to walk past it, when she felt his hand wrap around her upper arm, stopping her._

_"Let us go in!" He said, eyes shining and a face splitting smile. She shyly returned his smile and nodded. They walked into the store, it was a small place, with a support beam in the middle of the main floor, shelves upon shelves of puppets, rubber balls, tin drums, stuffed animals, fairy tale books, little trains in tracks that expelled real steam... they looked at the different dolls, toy soldiers, small pianos and trumpets, and other curious trinkets they had. Peeta asked to be shown the kites, and the toy maker, a tall, lanky red headed man with smiling green eyes, gleefully showed him the ones he had just finished making that very week_.

_"Spring is nearly here! The wee ones will be parading at my front door soon trying to get their own! Are you looking for a boy or a girl, my Lord?" The man asked good naturally._

_"Um... Girl... Seven to be exact!" He said studying the one particular design with different shades of purple leaves. "Maybe this one... What would you say, Sw.. Um... Miss Everdeen?" He said a little flustered._

_"For Posy?" She asked a little surprised._

_"Of course, or should I get something more... Colorful so Vick can play with it as well if he pleases?" He was not exactly looking at her as he picked up one with geometric designs in reds, oranges and yellows._

_"I guess, whatever my Lord decides will be fitting!" She responded still taken aback. At that moment, she saw that the far back corner of the shop, had a white tall set of shelves. It was the infant corner. Without thinking, she had let her feet carry her there, while Peeta kept on studying the kites._

_Peeta spied a butterfly shaped kite hanging on the wall, "What about that one?" He asked, the toy maker smiled, and reached for the kite. Peeta took it and turned it over and over, finally looking up. "I will take the two!" He said signaling to the butterfly one, and a cube shaped one that he had been looking at only a minute earlier. "Do you do deliveries?" He inquired._

_"Certainly my Lord, just write down the address and I will make sure the items get sent to the new owners promptly!" He gave Peeta a small pad, with the name of the store at the very top 'Mr. W’s Toy Box', it had a space for the name, address and a small note, for the recipient, he was jotting down all the information in the delivery form, when Katniss tapped his shoulder._

_He turned around to see her swaying on the balls of her feet, a self-satisfied grin and her hands behind her back. Before Peeta could asked what was she up to, she smiled showing all her teeth, and said triumphantly,_

_"I think I found it!" She whispered happily._

_"Pray, tell me, what it is that you found that has you in such a good mood, Miss Everdeen?" He asked amusedly, drinking in her stance and demeanor._

_"The perfect gift for little Finn!" She exclaimed and gave a few tiny jumps in place. "You said that the Baron wanted to be a shrimp boat Captain once... And I surmised by his knot tying hobby, he still likes boats..." She pulled a nautical theme mobile from behind her back._

_It had wooded painted figures depicting, an anchor, a couple of fish, a seahorse, a small sail boat, a seagull in flight, and a life saving ring. All the figures were attached to the pegs of a ship wheel by thick threads that resembled the rope Finnick used for his relaxation exercises. Peeta's mouth was hanging slightly open, but slowly, a smile formed on his lips as well._

_"You are absolutely right, my dear... M-miss Everdeen" he said the last part sheepishly. Taking the mobile from her hands, he put it on the counter. "We will take this as well!" He announced. "This you can box in a parcel, so it can travel safely! We will take this one with us!" He smiled at Katniss. "Both, the Baron and Baroness, will love the gift!" He said gratefully, with something akin to adoration in his eyes as he looked at Katniss. Another store clerk approached Katniss when Peeta moved to settle the bill._

_"May I help with that, ma'am?" He pointed at her hand that was still hidden behind her back. Her eyes snapped at the young boy, maybe fourteen or so He had jet black floppy hair and piercing green eyes._

_Shyly, she produced a small fluffy bunny rabbit, it was made of very soft white felt, with very long pink ears that fell on each side of its tiny head and reached the tip of its front nubs it had for paws. Around its neck a thin green ribbon tied into a bow_.

_"Mmm... I wish to pay for it separately..." She said tentatively, peeking in Peeta's direction as she spoke. The teen nodded his head, and brought her to another section of the store, and wrapped the bunny into cellophane paper, put it in a bag, handed to her, and said..._

_"It is on the house, my Lady." Katniss looked at the boy with widen eyes, but before she could protest he put up a hand in the air and replayed with a smile "I can tell magical people apart from regular ones... You seem special enough to be magical... Miss... Everdeen." said the boy handing her the small paper bag._

_"Al! This package is ready to be delivered! Do not keep the customers waiting!" The voice of the toy maker sounded somewhere behind her._

_"Almost ready to leave Uncle George!" The boy said in response, stepping away from Katniss, and heading in the direction of his uncle's voice. Katniss had no chance to even thank the boy when he was gone out the door to deliver the kites to the unsuspecting Hawthorne children. She just clutched her bag to her chest, and made her way back next to Peeta_.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

As soon as the icy rain ceased and the clouds parted to give way to a colorless, chilly, dank afternoon, Peeta sat at his desk in his Victor's Village study; he was weighing the options he had. He could stay another night in hopes the next day would be brighter and much better to embark on a journey, or he could leave right away and rush to Quattro and to the Odair's home. Something he knew for sure was that the longer they stayed in the Capitol, the more opportunity people like his uncle or his wife, would feel inclined to drag them back into their company, and he knew for a fact Katniss had had all she could stand for now.

She had been complaining about headaches and queasiness the whole time they had been there. At least her appetite seemed to be normal, as she could practically eat a horse if she was allowed. She had spent long hours around the Hawthorne children and their Mother, or in Johanna's company. He had not gone out to the pub again, but Sir Gale would come around and sit with him in his study for a while before spending time with Katniss and his family in Victor's Village Drawing room. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of hurt and sadness in Gale's eyes as he gazed at Katniss, with melancholy longing, but the emotions were fleeting, a moment there and the next gone.

Katniss, as usual was completely oblivious to her best friends predicament, and the whole thing made Peeta's chest constrict painfully, while his heart twisted in very uncomfortable knots. It was strange he could feel sorrow for a man that felt sorrow because he loved his Katniss and she had chosen another life. He guessed he just placed himself in Gale's shoes and knew that could very well be his reality if this was another universe. He would love a girl that was virtually unapproachable, while Gale took the prize home.

Then he would notice that Katniss would do anything in her power to cause Gale and Johanna to be either left alone in a room, or sitting next to each other for tea, or just plainly having a conversation in which she stayed invisible. Gale would usually get flustered while Johanna would stay cool as a cucumber, but her eyes would betray her nervousness. Peeta was catching on Katniss's game though.

He heard a knock on the main door then the sound of feet making their way to answer the door, muffled communication. The sound of doors closing, and...

"My Lady Katniss?" The soft voice of Mrs. Seeder could be overheard in the distance. "Package for you."

"Thank you Mrs. Seeder, you are so very kind!" _How was it that his heart could leap so high just by the sound of her voice?_ She was in the library reading, he knew that, this was her third package of the day, he was glad they had not left yet, or she would have missed her deliveries from the shopping of the day before, his Victor's Village staff would mail anything back to Winter Home no doubt, but there was certain satisfaction to receive their buys right then. The children got their kites the day before, and had rushed to see them after tea, they begged them to come to the park to see them fly them, and they obliged. It had been great. Too great. He sighed, knowing he was getting to attached to the idea of children.

"PEETA!" Her panicked shrike made him jump startle at least a foot in the air. He was on his feet right away and tearing down the hall to the library.

"What is it?" He was scarcely set foot inside the room when he saw her standing directly in front of the sofa, there was a wreckage of brown packaging paper scattered around the floor at her feet. She turned around to see him walking towards her. Mrs. Seeder and Mr. Chaff were entering the room as well their eyes bulging out of their sockets with concern. Katniss’ face was both panic stricken and ragefull.

"Look at this!" She all but shouted, handing him a crumpled piece of paper she had been clutching in her fist. Peeta took it and his eyes went wide as saw who it was from and read the short lines that comprised it.

 

_"My dear Miss Everdeen,_

_A token from my most sincere affection, to the future bride..._

_Whether you, or your sister shall wear it... It is entirely your decision._

_Humbly yours,  
King Coriolanus Snow"_

 

She stood to the side to allow him see the pristine cream color wedding gown, richly embroidered in gold thread, and pearls. The fabric was crushed velvet, with roses of the same color printed on the bodice of the dress. A bouquet of beautiful white rose blooms still sitting over the box where the dress had come from. His decision had been made for him by his uncle once more.

"Mr. Chaff!" He turned to find him standing at attention "Ready my motorized carriage... We are departing in twenty minutes!" His voice was cold, hard and dry. "What shall we do with this gown, dear?" He asked Katniss softening his voice just a little.

"Burn it!" She simply stepped around him, and calmly walked out of the room towards her bedchamber.

"You heard your Mistress... Burn the gown!" Her barked, the few employees that had rushed to the library started to whispered amongst themselves, The Duke, has imposed a new Lady on the Village, and she was not his legal wife! As he was leaving the library, with an astonished looking Mrs. Seeder, he added. "Burn the roses as well, the packaging and anything that came with it." He handed her the note bearing the White Rose of House of Snow, and he went after **his** bride, Katniss was his, and she was NOT for sale!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and flashbacks in Italic, quotes said earlier by characters in this story in Italics/Underline, quote from Mockingjay in Italic/Bold.
> 
> The Song 'Down in the Valley' is a traditional American folk song, that in many fandom sites dedicated to the Hunger Games is thought to be THE 'Valley song', the one Katniss sang the first day of school and effectively captivated 5 year old Peeta. As in most popular folk songs, lyrics tend to vary from singer to singer, this is to say, there is no "right" lyrics or ordered in which the stanzas are sung. I copied this version out of my son's children's music CD, I figured he's not to far in age to kindergartners K & P at the time she sang it, so, it was probably the right version to use:)
> 
> Note on Boggs' appearance... It is completely 100% canon! In the book, Boggs is a white dude! Don't get me wrong I support 100% the casting of Mahershala Ali in the movies, and I was convinced Boggs was black until I re-read Mockingjay, then for the purposes of researching for this story, went back to the book to find his actual description, which is included here with a few embellishments from my part.
> 
> There is a blink and you missed it, cameo of sorts in this chapter. It is not super obvious, but if you caught the crossover give me a wink :)... Those Characters aren't mine either!


	20. Sea Breeze and Bad Omens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: None of the Characters belong to me. 
> 
> Hugs and big Thank you to my beta, abk1973. She's been proof reading every scrap of work I send her and I sooooo thankful for that! 
> 
> The following chapter is a fluff fest, with minimal drama, beware of the calm before the storm thought! Enjoy!

"Peeta! Katniss!" The Baroness was rushing down the many steps leading to the front doors of her beautiful manor. Her long, unbound, dark hair flowed behind her as did the sheer material of the robe she was wearing; she was barefoot and dressed in what looked like her night clothes, although it was a little before supper time. Her face was not made up; in fact she had faded circles shadowing her sea green eyes that seem to shine with excitement at the sight of her visitors.

Katniss was the first to descend from the car, therefore the one whom Annie had slung herself into a bone breaking embrace.

"I am sooooo happy you finally made it!" Annie laughed a little hysterically into the younger lady's neck.

"I am happy we made it here as well..." Katniss whispered into the older lady's shoulder and broke down in sobs. Annie only hugged her tighter, until they heard the annoyed voice of the Baron descending the steps.

"Annie! You should be inside! I am perfectly capable of..." He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw both women clutching at each other for dear life, fat big tears rolling down both their faces, undoubtedly for totally different reasons, but releasing their accumulated stress into each other's arms. He sighed and shook his head at a loss for anything better to do. He simply walked over to his friend, who also looked at the brink of tears, and pulled him into a manly embrace to let him know, that whatever ailed his heart, he was safe now.

"Come, all of you... Let us go into the house. We have hard drinks and seafood stew that would heal any sad soul." With an arm around his friend's shoulder and he motioned to one of his men to come bring his guest's things into the house as well. He placed his hand softly on Katniss's back and steered her in the right direction, Annie had yet to release her hold on the maid.

 

==========================

 

After hot baths, a glass of very strong rum, and a few more tears, everyone had recuperated from the stress of the day and were ready to dine. Finnick smiled as he saw his wife entered the Dining room actually wearing clothes and not a sleep gown, looking relaxed and even happy, taking her seat next to him.

Mother Odair was missing from the table Peeta noticed, but decided to not ruin his friend's dinner inquiring about her Mother-in-law's absence.

Finnick had been right about that seafood stew... Gumbo, Nani Mags had called it. Katniss devoured every last drop of it left in her bowl and when offered seconds she readily accepted with an enormous smile gracing her face. The bread was salty and with a seaweed crust, that went perfectly with the main dish of baked fish and red potatoes. Katniss surprised herself when she ate two servings of key lime pie, she had never had the custard before and she loved it. She begged the cook to send the recipe to Old Sae back at Winter Home... Ideally, she would learn how to make it herself, but as Peeta wanted to be back in Merch before Sunday, to prepare for the inauguration of the Healing Center on Monday, their time in Quattro was limited. There were too many things she wanted to see before leaving, she had no idea if she would ever have this chance to explore District 4 and visit a beach and see the ocean in person and she was not going to lose precious time in a kitchen, no matter how delectable the dish was.

Nani Mags, a wizened, very old woman, had been the one to finally manage to tear the Baroness off of poor Katniss. Mags, Katniss learned, had been Finnick's Father's governess, she had never married, but stayed with the Odairs, as Finnick's nanny, and now she would be there to help raise Finnick Odair the Third as well. She was a sweet old thing, stronger than her fragile frame let on, and although her speech was garbled and at times downright indecipherable, Katniss could feel the care with which the old woman cared for her, a complete stranger, just because of Finn and Annie. She had been the one to insist that she eat more... of everything. Then she patted her cheek fondly; kissing both Finnick and Annie on their foreheads, and finally pinching Peeta's cheek, Mags waved goodnight and disappeared up the long spiral stairs leading to the bedchambers.

"Annie... I know when I first asked how Baby Finn was, you said he was asleep... But... Um... Would it... Would it be alright if..." Katniss twisted her fingers in her cloth napkin nervously. Why was she so interested in seeing this infant, she had no clue. All she knew was that there was a baby in this manor, and she was itching to take a peek at it.

Annie smiled and stood up, extending her hand in offering to Katniss, who took it without question. The both girls walked slowly upstairs. The men looked at each other and Finnick smiled,

"Are you up to meeting my heir, my friend?"

"I thought you would never ask!" Peeta's smile matched his best friend's. The two of them followed their wives, into the nursery where tiny Finnick Odair the third, slept placidly in his enormous crib in the middle of his enormous chamber under moonlight rays that filtered through the enormous glass windows. The murmur of the surf breaking in waves could be heard from the short distance between the manor and the beach was soothing everyone's nerves even with the windows closed.

Katniss breathed the calmness in. She was glad that Peeta still felt the need to visit his best friend before returning home, no matter how little time they would have here. She felt his arm coil around her waist, and the breath she took next was even steadier than the first one, she let herself melt into his side, as he brought her closer to him. While at the Capitol they had barely touched, first because it was frown upon to showing affection in public to a woman that was not his wife, second because she thought it was not appropriate to do so in front of little Posy, it would just be confusing for her. And the third reason was as Peeta he stated firmly, that he "would not rub into Gale's face the spoils of victory, after winning the affections of the woman he had vied to wed." Peeta thought "it would be in bad taste and disrespectful... At least until they were able to marry properly." But now he could touch her, embrace her, and kiss her, all he wanted, and the notion made her immensely content.

"Would you like to see him from up close?" whispered Annie excitedly.

"I would not want to wake him... He looks to be so comfortable" sighed Katniss, snaking her own arms around Peeta's waist.

"Oh, he will wake any minute now, and he will not let anyone sleep anymore..." replied Annie scrunching up her nose.

"I will love to see him, when he wakes. I will sit with you while you watch him... Or... Feed him" Katniss said separating from Peeta a little bit, not enough to dislodge from his embrace, but just enough so she could see Annie's face as she spoke.

"We will both sit with you," Peeta offered with a smile, "Until the feeding that is..." He murmured nervously, sending Finnick a look that begged to not be left alone in this situation. Finn smiled and simply walked towards the crib, he leaned down to watch his newborn son and caressed the infant's tiny head lovingly. The baby stirred slightly in his sleep, but as soon as his Father had removed his hand from his head, the nursery was filled with the shrill cry only a newborn could emit.

"Finnick!" Annie hissed at her husband, swatting his arm with the back of her hand as she rushed to retrieve the now screaming child. "Now you have done it!"

She picked up the baby, and rocked him softly in her arms, the babe would not calm down. He just cried harder and shriller.

"Please Finny, it is alright, you do not need to cry this hard... Mama is here!" She tried to soothe him to no avail; Finnick grimaced as apologies spilled from his lips like a waterfall.

As if she had known all along what must need be done, Katniss disentangled from Peeta, calmly walked up to Annie. Grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her to a comfortable looking rocking chair, she sat the woman down and said to her, "Sing"

"What?" She asked confusedly. "Sing? Like a... Lullaby?" Katniss nodded. And without any more prompting, she kneeled next to the new mother and her child, and let her voice fill the room with her sweet song.

 _"Down in the valley,_  
_the valley so low,_  
_Hang your head over,_  
_hear the wind blow._  
Hear the wind blow, dear,  
_hear the wind blow._  
_Hang your head over,_  
_hear the wind blow."_

The crying diminished, and the baby was nuzzling his mother's breasts, rutting and looking for the source of food.

" _Writing this letter,_  
_containing three lines,_  
_Answer my question,_  
" _Will you be mine_?"  
" _Will you be mine, dear_ ,  
_will you be mine,"_  
_Answer my question_ ,  
" _Will you be mine?"_ "

Nani Mags entered the room slowly; she was the only person moving about, the other adults in the room where transfixed by the singing voice. Mags helped Annie unbind her top, so her child could eat.

" _Roses love sunshine,_  
_violets love dew,_  
_Angels in heaven know I love you;_  
_Know I love you, dear,_  
_know I love you,_  
_Angels in heaven know I love you."_

The babe was suckling happily and vigorously on his mother's breast, Annie was rocking in the chair placidly, Mags started to sing a garbeled version of the song as well, while encouraging Annie to sing along. Katniss remembered another stanza.

" _Build me a castle forty feet high,_  
_So I can see him as he rides by;_  
_As he rides by, dear, as he rides by,_  
_So I can see him as he rides by."_

Annie seemed to know the song, as she picked up the lines. The baby was breathing softly, the nursery was quiet, and only the sounds of a suckling infant could be heard alongside the new mother's raspy voice.

Mags held a hand out to help Katniss stand, then escorted everyone out of the nursery without objections. She kissed Finnick on the temple, patted both Peeta and Katniss on the cheek fondly, and turned back into the room they had just walked out, closing the door softly behind her.

"I think... Nani just... dismissed us?" mumbled Finnick when the spell of the folk song was broken. They could hear the lyrics float back to them muffled by the closed door, the voice was Annie's

" _Roses love sunshine,_  
_violets love dew,  
Angels in heaven know I love you_..."

"Yeah, I think Mags wanted to give Annie some privacy" agreed Peeta.

"Well, I guess I should show you to your chambers, as it will be pointless to just stand here the rest of the night" Finnick sighed and gestured his guests to follow him. "Annie has been sleeping in the nursery... Let me, um, rephrase that... Annie has been spending all of her time awake in the nursery, pretty much since the day Finn was born. It has been very stressful for days. The child will wake and cry for hours, not eating or getting soothed by anything Annie does... Nani helps, a lot, but I had to send Mother away to visit with her sister in the country. She had been making everything worse, complaining about the cries and criticizing Annie at every turn, even calling her incompetent and a lazy mother." He sighed again.

"I am so sorry, My Lord. It sounds like you have been having a rough time" Peeta patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, as he tried to let his friend know how much he cared.

"Annie is a wonderful Mother! How can Mother Odair criticize her? She is brand new to motherhood, and babies are not easy to understand! They cannot express themselves in any other way except for sobbing and screaming... Ugh! I cannot believe the nerve..." Katniss was stomping alongside the men, raging under her breath, loud enough to catch both men by surprise, causing them to share twin grins at the young lady's angry mutterings.

"Well, I have to say that I for one, am very pleased I got to hear the mystical voice that bewitched the heart-hardened Duke of Merch! Your singing truly is heavenly, my Lady!" said Finnick smiling one of his heart stopping smiles.

She was convinced the Baron had to be some sort of demigod, he was so beautiful. Her eyes quickly shifted to a safer sight, and she knew her initial assessment was wrong... There were two gods walking alongside her in these halls. Peter Mellark was perfection at its peak, golden and beautiful, and mostly hers. She got to strip him of his clothing at night and make him sigh her name between gasps of carnal pleasure. It was her body that would collect his seed every day, and it was her body he would cradle in slumber. She blushed, and lowered her face. Both men took the action as shy, reluctant acceptance of the Baron's praise.

"I told you she had the most enchanting voice ever! Did I not, dear friend?" Peeta said happily, stretching his arm to wrap it around her hip. She skipped a little to match his walking speed, and she let her head rest on his shoulder as they finally arrived to their destination.

The next day brought them a sense of peace and contentment. The Baron had instructed his kitchen aids, to serve breakfast on the terrace looking out over the sea. Katniss inhaled the salty air greedily, and wholeheartedly agreed with the name they had chosen for the Manor: 'Sea Breeze' was perfect a description for this place.

Their breakfast table had been laden with cooked oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar, fresh fruit that has been already growing in Quattro, hard boiled eggs, crispy bacon strips, lightly fried slices of tomatoes and potatoes, buttered and jellied slices of wheat bread, little square pastries filled with pecans and drizzled with honey, freshly squeezed orange juice, hot tea and cream, and a denser, richer cup of hot chocolate to round out the meal. Again, Katniss ate her food with gusto and renewed appetite, which prompted Finnick to say as he grinned happily at her,

"I truly love it when women eat with enthusiasm! Eat up, my Lady, eat up! There is more where this came from!"

After their meal, they joined Annie, who looked more relaxed and better rested than the day before. She was sitting in the drawing room holding her child in her arms; before leaving their chamber that morning, Katniss had grabbed the parcel that contained baby Finnick's gift, and had kept it with her until she could give to Annie.

Annie asked Katniss if she would hold the child while she opened the package, and after a moment of indecision, she acquiesced, taking the tiny bundle from her friend's arms. She quickly sank down into the nearest, most comfortable available seat, and held on to the infant as if for dear life.

As Annie had tore into the brown packing paper, and broke the seals of the box, Katniss found her nose sinking low in the direction of baby Finnick's head... She inhaled the heavenly scent of newborn child, and found herself nuzzling the downy soft head with her cheek. She could not understand this phenomenon. She felt her heart swell and expand and be filled with the smell of this tiny creature that looked so... strange but cute and fragile. She placed a barely there kiss on his soft head. Annie’s delightful squeal made Katniss opened her eyes, that she had dreamily closed while absorbing the moment with this little human in her arms, she still could not identify whatever it was that was so appealing to her. But then again, her mother and sister had been fawning over Annie when she was expecting, maybe it was something wired deeply in women's brains to be attracted to babies.

For the first time ever, Katniss felt that having her own would not be such a bad thing. They were so tiny; there was nothing scary about this little person yawning and burrowing placidly in her protective embrace. She could do with one! In fact she would love one someday! ' _Wait... What? No! Absolutely not! No babies! We cannot protect one at the moment... But maybe... Maybe later?'_ She was confused. She had to give back this little sack of sugar before she got more confused. She looked up at Annie, who was still excitedly looking at the nautical mobile, showing each wooded figurine to Finnick who looked like a little boy himself.

"You look beautiful..." Peeta's breathy whisper in her ear made her skin break out in goosebumps, she was not sure if her reaction was excitement or fearful. She was 100% sure his comment alluded to her holding a babe in her arms, and she was not sure if she should be swooning or terrified. Katniss had no time to dwell in the dilemma as Annie had rushed to them, and was currently holding Peeta in a neck breaking hug. When it was her turn, Annie was a bit more mindful as she was still holding her son, which Katniss quickly placed back into his mother's arms. She smiled brightly at everyone, because whatever battle had been unleashed between her heart and her head, she was truly happy to be there with her friends, watching them coo and awe over their first born child. Babies truly are a blessing.

Peeta took Katniss for a walk on the beach right after the many embraces bestowed upon them by both Annie and Finnick, they had loved the present and were discussing with each other the best way to go about hanging it over Little Finn's crib. Because it was definitely meant to go right over the crib so Little Finn could always look up at it and admire the gift from his 'Godfather' Peter and his aunt Katniss.

Peeta had been taken aback when he heard them, when Finnick finally officially asked him if he would be willing to become Godfather to his newborn, he could not stop the single tear that rolled down his cheek, as he said that he would be honored to accept. They had named Annie's cousin Godmother, per Annie's parents’ insistence.

They strolled hand in hand, on the soft ocean soaked sand, Peeta had suggested early in the morning she wore the lightest of her dresses, he also told her to not wear stockings, so once they reached the sandy soil they both removed their shoes, and proceeded barefoot. She had never seen sand like this, the sand surrounding the lake was more dirt than sand and she was fascinated by it. Also by the sound of the waves breaking on the shore, and the sound of seagulls cawing overhead, diving into the water and rising into flight a second later. Katniss had no idea birds could _swim_. Another new experience she enjoyed was the salty smell emanating from the ocean, it was different and she liked it, but decided she only liked it for a vacation period of time only, not for a long term thing. Peeta encouraged her to dip her fingers in the chilly sea water and take a taste, she was surprised at how salty it was, but then she realized why the salt in the air made sense.

Peeta had brought his sketch book with him and had decided that it was a perfect opportunity to sketch his beloved Katniss. It took him almost no time to be done with his rendering of her while she sat on the sun watching the waves, enjoying the peaceful scene before her.

"Peeta? Do you think that the King will try to harm you if, or, when we marry?" Her voice was soft, her eyes were intent on the waves of the sea washing up a foot away from her spot on the warm sand. He studied her for moment.

"It is a very real possibility, yes. But, I will not allow myself to be fearful of his reprisal. I am done being his pawn, and I refuse being a piece in his games anymore." He said equally quiet, but there was clear determination in his words.

"I do not want any harm to come to you... I would never forgive myself if something happen to you Peeta." She was on her knees facing him, begging him to understand. "I will go insane if anything ever were to hurt you!" Her eyes shone with unshed tears, and he placed his book and pencil down, to take her hands in his.

"Katniss, you are the light of my day, the air that I breathe... I cannot and I will not give you up, so please do not ask that of me. For I care not for my own life if you are not in it... I am in love with you; you have to know that by now." He said with a very serious tone in his deep voice and the intensity in his eyes hinted of the world locked away in his mind where his ideals and code of honor lived.

She felt the slow pace of rising bile tickling her throat, she had not been sick in days, but she still felt nausea at any given time, more specifically when her stomach started to feel hunger. She doubted this was related to hunger at all, and more directly caused by the crippling fear she felt every time she thought of losing Peeta for good. She felt that panic bubbled up in her chest.

"Peeta... Please... Do not say that... Saying that you love me is bad luck! Something awful could happen, I could lose you, and then my life would be forfeited... I would not be able to go on without you..." Tears were threatening to spill from her mercury eyes.

"Sweetheart, you still have your family, your Mother and Prim... And the Hawthornes, and even Johanna and the Odairs... You will never be alone..." He tried to reason, but she would not allow it.

"I need **you**! Can you not see that? My survival is completely dependent on yours!" She almost shouted, her face now stained with fresh tears, her hands holding his like vices. She kissed him then, hard.

He tried to talk but soon gave up, and gave into the kiss, and she needed him to ravage her, there and then. Her pull was an irresistible force, and he would never be able to deny her anything. So he lifted her up in his arms, and carried her to a small cove not far from where they were, where he knew was a small grotto. He made love to her there, her moans masked by the sounds of the sea set fire to his movements. And he laid kisses on her very soul, if he was not allowed to say it, he had to show it, and he did, over and over, until they were too tired to go again.

They arrived to Sea Breeze, and slipped into their chambers unnoticed; they bathed and changed into more presentable clothing, and finally went to meet with their hosts.

"Your Grace! My Lady!" Exclaimed Annie from a rocking chair where she was holding little Finnick with one arm, and an open book in the other. "How was the visit to the beach? I hope it was all you had hoped it would be!" She smiled brightly and she was rewarded with matching smiles in return.

"We did enjoy the beach a lot, my Lady! Thank you so much for allowing us to come stay with you and enjoy your hospitality!" replied Katniss gratefully. "The sea is just... Breathtaking! I would love to come back and explore the coast when time is not a pressing matter!"

"Oh, it would be splendid to have you back! Of course, we do not have hunting grounds to entertain the men, but, we women could certainly use the distractions of a peaceful walk on the sand!" Annie agreed, and she looked in such a great mood, it was hard to understand what had happened to the weeping lady they encountered just the evening before.

"Does my Lord still have that boat of his? We can always go fishing, I enjoy fishing with the Baron, it is probably the only thing he can brag about being superior at than me... Well, that and that he is now the proud father of a son!" Peeta said with a chuckle.

"I would have bragged if it was a daughter even more! And then I would have started raising guard dogs... The mean kind! I will not allow any scoundrel close to my child!" interjected Finnick walking into the room, he then placed a kiss on his wife's cheek and another on his son's tiny head.

The gestured made both Peeta and Katniss smile from ear to ear, and she felt the irresistible desire to hold the miniature person in her own arms, and inhale all his sweet newborn smell, that she instinctively knew only newborns carry.

"Can... Can I... Um... Possibly, hold Baby Finnick?" She asked shyly, and Annie's face lit up like it was the best thing she had ever heard in her life.

"Of course!" She said, and made room in the couch adjacent to her chair, to accommodate Katniss.

Once in the younger woman's arms, the babe yawned stretching his tiny little arms, and fisted his long baby fingers lazily. He went to sleep immediately, and again, Katniss was lost in his scent and the feel of fuzz of his head under her chin.

Nani Mags' garbled voice came from one of the sides, and Katniss looked up at her. The confusion was evident on Katniss’s face as Finnick explained what it was that Mags had said, "it does not get better than the smell of a child to encourage a woman of childbearing age to seek her own..." Finnick sent Peeta a covert look, before setting his sparkly sea green eyes on Katniss. Katniss of course blushed, and sighed... She sighed and then gave the baby back to his mother.

"I am a concubine... Maybe if I was a proper wife, living in a different place and a different time, I would give many of this to my Lord." Her voice was hardly above a whisper, but all in the sitting room heard her, Peeta put his arm around her, and pulled her to his chest.

"I promise you, we will be married someday soon, and when the time is perfect, I will remind you of the words you just said." He said into her hairline.

"But, that was not... It was not my agreeing with it, let alone a promise! It was merely..." She protested before Annie cut her off.

"It was merely the sweet picture of a bright future that we all dream for the both of you." With that last statement the baby question was left alone until it was appropriate to discuss again.

 

==========================

 

Saturday morning found the four friends embracing and saying their goodbyes. They had all kissed Baby Finnick's tiny head after his breakfast of breast milk straight from his mother. They found out that if it were not for Mags always corralling away the visitors during baby feedings, Annie would have no qualms about modesty when it came to letting her bosom free and sticking her nipples in her son's hungry mouth. She truly did not care much who was watching, as long as the baby was suckling his food contentedly.

Weirdly enough, Katniss found it fascinating, while Peeta always looked uncomfortable with it, he tried his hardest to look away from the scene, and Finnik found the whole thing hilarious. He finally told Peeta, he was going to commission a portrait from Peeta... Of his wife feeding their son and Peeta's glare was so full of animosity that it made Finnick double down in laughter. Both Katniss and Annie rolled their eyes at their men.

"Boys!" Annie said under her breath.

The Baron promised to come to Winter Home in the next week or so, to bring some documents he had been working on, Annie pouted when she said she would have to stay behind with Baby Finn.

Finnick had approached Katniss the night before and had told her, that Annie had come to bed in their chamber these last two nights, instead of spending the night on the cot housed in the nursery, close by the crib. Little Finnick had only woken two times to eat, and had not cried like he usually did. Finnick said that Annie would sing to the baby, and he would quiet and calm right away. Katniss was happy that their visit was as cathartic to them as it had been to her and Peeta. She could see the new spring in Peeta’s step and the renewed twinkled in his eye that had dulled while in the Capitol. It was with great sorrow, that they finally left Sea Breeze and its Masters behind.

Returning to Merch was bittersweet. On the one hand they were going home, on the other hand... they would have to lie to her family about their time in the Capitol. Peeta said, at least for the time being, he would not tell Mrs. Everdeen and Prim about the King's and Prince Cato's agendas and how the Everdeens were linked to them. He said that he would have to tell Thom, for he would need to send him abroad soon in order to look for suitable hiding places for Prim, and Mrs. Everdeen as he would never send the maiden alone to another country.

It had been decided that they would certainly tell all the truth to Prim once they had worked out a plan and prepared some or most of all the logistics. They knew they had to allow her time to come to terms with leaving Panem behind, even though it was for her safety. They had also discussed the probability of the two of them also migrating abroad if things became too difficult for them. Thom would have his work cut out for him, He would have to research places for multiple scenarios. Peeta was confident that Thom would be more than capable and up to the task, especially knowing that Prim's well-being was in direct relation to the outcome of his travels.

When they finally reached the last bend in their journey, they debated whether to make a turn and go into Seam or go straight to Merch. Finally fatigue won out, and they kept on straight towards home. It was a good thing too, as Haymitch was waiting for them at the bottom of the steps that lead into Winter Home. He rushed to help Katniss out of the car, while the rest of the Household filed out into the courtyard to welcome their Masters home.

Effie and Mrs. Everdeen rushed to embrace their respective child, then came Primrose, then Thom, and then Effie and Mrs. Everdeen switched people. It was quite an ordeal to greet and embrace and talk to everyone, they finally went into the house almost 20 minutes after they first pulled into the grounds of Winter Home. They made sure to greet every single one of the people in line to see them come home. Everyone had a big happy smile at the end.

Thresh gave Peeta a condensed report of the happenings in the house while in their absence. Mrs. Everdeen did something similar to some degree, and then it was Thom's turn to give his overall account. There had been two hunting parties lodging in Winter Home while they were away, a new one was there now, it was small and about to depart in three days. Katniss released a puff of air in annoyance, she did not want to deal with guests at the moment, but it was her duty. So she asked Effie about the plans for supper, and the hunting schedules for the next two days. She took over seemingly ready to work.

Peeta, meanwhile, locked himself in his study with Haymitch and Thom almost as quickly as Katniss had taken to her duties. There had been a lot of loud voices coming from the study, and Katniss surmised they came from Thom, as she was sure he was being told the reason why she had been summoned to the Capitol. When the door to Peeta's study was opened and then slammed shut, and the gruff voice of Haymitch trying to reason with someone, she knew for certain it was Thom.

"Kid, you have to simmer down for now, the boy is doing what he can to buy us time, but even _he_ is running out of excuses... We have to go with this... the alternative is not even an option, and you are aware of it..."

"My Lord... If it was... It just... Is not fair!" he forced out of gritted teeth.

"I agree! But you cannot lose your head and do something brash and stupid. What Peeta is proposing will require finesse and a level head... Find it! Then come back... And... Just a reminder... Not a word of this until we know what we are up against, do we have an understanding?" She heard the older man rasp with a hint of authority. She did not hear a response, but Haymitch's next words told her they had come to an understanding. "Good man! Now go... Sneak around with Sunshine, before she worries... I will keep her hawks occupied!" Katniss pursed her lips and shook her head at their obviousness.

"You know, if you were really trying to be surreptitious... You should never whisper in corners that carry your voices... especially when I am around." She smirked at the men, and then went past them in the direction of the study. A few paces away she said over her shoulder "But Lord Abernathy is right, you better hurry before Prim notices there is something amiss!" Thom did not have to be told twice, he was gone as soon as she stepped into the study and saw Peeta sprawled on his chair behind his desk, rubbing circles on his temples with both hands, eyes closed and sighing tiredly. She entered the room and closed the door behind her, he did not look up to see who it was, she guessed he was so tired he did not even care. She walked up to him while softly speaking,

"We still have two hours before dinner is served, my Lord. I will suggest we go lie down in our bed for an hour, then bathe together and then dress to greet and visit with our guests before supper. What say you?" She sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. "Come on Peeta, you are exhausted and we need to rest a little before we meet these people. I know it would be worlds different if we were alone, but we are not... What do you say?" She asked sweetly, running a finger down the length of his nose and giving him a tiny kiss as her finger left it.

"Will you let me play with you before we take this nap you are suggesting we take?" He asked with both his eyebrows raised and a devious smirk in his lips.

"You can do anything you want my Lord, go to sleep, or play with my naked body, or just have a conversation... You are finally home and welcome to do as you please!" She smiled.

" _ **So... You'll allow it?**_ " He asked and rested his forehead on hers.

" ** _I'll allow it_**." And he stood up with her still in his arms, only letting her feet touch the floor when they reached the stairs.

Sunday and Monday they spent getting things ready for the grand inauguration of the Healing Center. They had taken all day Sunday to move Mrs. Everdeen and Prim to the apartment Peeta had set up for them in Baker's Place, where the Center would be functioning temporarily until the official building of the Healing Center was done.

Katniss had gone to see her dog and horse as soon as she could before the moving started. She had also met with her guests, and had talked hunting with them, giving them tips that they had asked for. Peeta was amazed at how fast and smoothly she had gotten back into the rhythm of running their house, he was proud of her and very grateful to have her in his life, she truly was the best thing in his existence.

Life was getting back in track for them, Katniss had many questions for her Mother about Cashmere and their familial bond to her, but decided to leave it be for the time being, as there was so much to be done. And it truly was not the time, but she would snatch the first opportunity that presented itself and not waste it. Thom had kept quiet about the Prince and the King as well, and all they said about Katniss’s stay in the Capitol was that the King had wanted to meet Katniss out of curiosity.

Then as if just remembering that Cashmere had requested her to do so, Katniss told her Mother she needed an exam done to be sent to the Duchess, she did ask if it was strictly necessary for her to be actually examined for the report to be written. Her Mother knew how healthy she was; the answer was a stern, pointed look, that told her she would not get away with not being checked properly. In all honesty, she was nervous about the results a real medical exam would shed, she was still feeling funny, nauseated when she did not eat her meals right away, or when she tried to go into the stables and the smell, that regularly she had no problems working with, all but suffocated her and were vomit inducing now. She could not stand the stables much these days, when she had never before minded them. It was a shame really, all this business with her stomach being queasy all the time, she started to relax as her breasts started to swell and lightly hurt to the touch, especially after freeing them from the constrictive corsets and bustiers she had to wear under her clothing, it was tell-tale of the impending coming of her monthly, and although it was supposed to have come a week earlier, but nothing happened, the tenderness in her breasts had not totally gone away. And because she had never been totally regular with her malnourishment, and all,  Katniss was holding fast unto the notion that she had consumed her contraceptive pills religiously, as a means to keep herself from becoming a nervous wreck. There was no way her unfounded fears could materialize and destroy all their carefully laid out plans for the future which might include the possibility of running away. Running away while being with child was not an option... Being with child, was not and option period!

Monday morning had finally arrived, and the house was buzzing with excitement and the many preparations. Neither Merch nor Seam, had a proper newspaper to publish the happenings of their region, so Peera had invited two people from the Capitol paper, photographers or 'graphic journalists' as they preferred to be called. Pollux and Castor Cardew, were the sons of Madame Fulvia Cardew who had inherited from her late husband the only free news outlet in all of Panem, Capitol Newspaper. Peeta had met Castor and Pollux at Madame Jackson's Pub, as part of Gale's rebel crew, they had been there that night and Peeta had decided that the opening of a Healing Center was news worthy, and it would help to explain away their presence in the pub that night were they ever to need an alibi. They could say that they had been there for business with the Duke of Merch. Just to keep it as professional as they could they opted to stay at the town's inn, but they had of course, graciously accepted a breakfast invitation at the Duke's home.

Katniss had no idea why Peeta acting so _familiar_ with these men that he had not a relation to, but, she went with it nonetheless. The Healing Center would officially open its doors to the public at noon, and there were refreshments and snacks catered by Mrs Rooba. Mrs. Everdeen had been the one to contact the vendors that would provide the chairs, tables, and the tent Peeta had said he wanted to have for outdoor seating, as well as the caterers and even obtained the small favors they were going to give to the people in attendance. Katniss was glad to see what great job her mother had done all on her own as well as keeping within her budget, it did help that Mrs. Rooba was by now familiar with what Lady Winter Home and the Duke were partial to, and had a great knowledge of her trade.

By 11:00 they were all ready for the event to begin. The decorations were minimal, there were some chairs for the elderly and sick, that wanted to witness the event, placed right in front of the big bow and ribbon that would be cut to signify that the Center had officially open its doors to serve everyone in the district. The tent with tables laden with food were set up in the yard adjacent to the main building, and there were a few more chairs placed there as well. The whole thing was supposed to feel informal to some degree, as to not intimidate the populace with less social standing that still wanted to be there and participate.

They had a priest come as well, and they dedicated the Center to the greater powers and pray for blessings upon the people who would walk through its doors either as patients or as medical personnel.

The inauguration went off without a hitch. Everyone was on point, Peeta made the first speech, dedicating the Center to the good people of District Twelve, and pledging his financial support to keep it up and running and well equipped. The applause he received had been deafening, they had no idea how many people would attend, but it seem like three-quarters of the town was there, without counting the people that came from Seam and other smaller villages around. Then it was time to cut the ribbon, and in a burst of inspiration, he had called Little Anneka, Thresh's niece, and Mr Dalton's daughters to come do the honors of cutting the ribbon. The girls did a splendid job at sharing the sheers and taking turns cutting pieces of the fat ribbon, until two pieces fell to the ground, and the cheering began again, the noises the crowd was making was loud enough to make anyone's ears ring. The last thing task was Peeta handing over the keys of Baker's Place to Mrs. Everdeen to symbolically pass on the reins of the Healing Center. The crowd hooted and cheered, and the small group of people seated on the chairs left their comfort for a standing ovation. The celebrations lasted well into the evening, but by late afternoon, Mrs. Everdeen and Prim had already started working on patients.

Katniss saw as both Effie and Haymitch embraced Peeta after the speeches and the presenting of the keys to her Mother. Effie dabbed at her tears at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief so white it was blinding in the sun light. She could tell both of Peeta's only parent figures were swelling with pride at what he had done that day. She decided to give them their space and merely watch from far away.

"Miss Everdeen..." A deep voice she really did not recognized called her, she turned around to face the man that had spoken, and found the graphic journalists standing a foot away from her.

"Masters Cardew! Thank you so much for coming all this way to see that our small celebration was documented for posterity!" She said with a bright smile as she walked towards the men. She noticed the way the one named Polux seem to swallow with effort; she found the action strange, so she tried to focus her gaze on his eyes and not his throat.

"Thank you ma'am, it was our pleasure! Anything for the illustrious Duke of Merch!" Responded the one called Castor and both men gave her a little bow. Something struck her as odd, in all the times she had seen these two interact with Peeta during breakfast, or during the inauguration, she had not seen or actually heard Pollux speak. "We just wanted to let you and Lord Mellark know, that we are about to retire to the inn, and then tomorrow after breakfast we will be returning home to the Capitol. We figured it was best not to interrupt him as we can see he is with his... Um... Family?" The last word was more a question, but she simply nodded.

"Oh, well in that case... Let me extend an invitation for breakfast once more, I am sure His Grace will appreciate the opportunity to see you both off, and thank you personally for coming to Merch before your journey back to your homes!" She said promptly. The men accepted the invitation and took their leave shortly after.

Going back home that night, was strange for her, she had never lived apart from her Mother and sister this way before. Of course she had gone off to Merch and left her house, but this felt different, they were in the same town, but in different houses. For the first time in her life, she felt like an adult, which strange on it's own, as she had been the default _head of the family_ for so long... No, this was more. She felt married, even though it was just an emotional, non-official bond between her and her would-be husband; she was in fact sharing a dwelling with a man, with whom she had sex on a daily bases, while her family lived on another residence. She had hugged her family, and promised to visit during the week, and they had promised to come for supper on Friday, and with Peeta's encouragement, they decided to try and make it a weekly occurrence, as long as they did not have overnight patients to tend to.

As promised, the next morning the Cardew brothers came for breakfast at Winter Home. That was when Katniss finally realized there was something particularly wrong with Mr Pollux. After staring a second too long, Mr. Castor addressed the issue.

"He is an avox" he said in a matter of fact tone to a discombobulated Katniss.

"Pardon me?" She said, and winced at the scratchy sound of her own voice.

"My brother, he is what is called an Avox" he said with a sad smile. Katniss blinked a couple of times, remembering what she knew about the term, and the little few times she had ever heard it being used to described anyone before.

"Do you mean... As in a person that had been rendered speechless as a punishment for treason?" She asked in an astonished gasp. Lady Trinket that had been drinking her hot tea delicately almost choked on her beverage at the younger girl's words.

"Lady Katniss! That is hardly a conversation theme to be brought to the table... Apologize at once!" She hissed, her face burning red whether in anger, or embarrassment, or both Katniss did not know, she obeyed either way.

"I am sorry, master Cardew... It was impolite of me to..." She started.

"No! Not at all, Madame!" He said with a much brighter smile than before, he shot a look at Peeta who was looking a tad morose at Effie, he then returned his gaze to Katniss who was biting her lip in true repentance for her inconsiderate actions for first saying and then intruding. "We do not mind talking about it... at the table or anywhere else, for that matter. But, yes, you are most correct, my Lady. My brother was sentenced to have his tongue removed after writing a series of articles criticizing the way some of the men in the upper class abuse their influence and wealth. The imbalance of the justice in most occasions, and the way the law has never protected the well-being of the female population and for the discrimination and inequity that some women seem themselves subjected to... For example, our Mother, had to sign the newspaper over to the two of us as legal owners, otherwise the Crown would have the power to seize her properties, if ever she decided to run the paper and attack them, directly... Well, we now see that it matters not in the end, as my brother is case in point, proof, that you should never go after the rich and powerful in this society." He ended his speech and then dipped his fork into his plate to scoop a bite of scrambled eggs, as if he had not just said that his brother had spoken against the injustices he has seen and was mutilated as punishment for it.

Katniss' stomach twisted into an unpleasant knot, her now always present nausea threatening her own eggs to come back up. The rest of the people in the table felt the same way as Katniss to some degree. Peeta finally cleared his throat loudly, and put an end to a very awkward silence.

"Our sympathies to Master Pollux, we certainly regret this odious, cruel and unusual punishment that has been inflicted on you. I wish I had more words to say... Except... You probably are our most valuable asset when it comes to reminders of what is truly wrong in our kingdom." Pollux gave Peeta a grateful look and nodded. After this exchange, there was no more talk of the atrocities that could befall people who angered the nobility or the Crown. They wished farewell to Pollux and Castor soon after, and they were promised that they would receive enough copies of the news as soon as the issue with the story of the Healing Center inauguration was published in circulation.

Life at Winter Home went back to its previous pace, everyone fell back into their routines and duties were efficiently fulfilled. Lord Abernathy returned to his home in Seam, with no certain promised of a set date for a next visit, which was hardly unexpected, he could just return to see them all at the drop of a hat anyway, and it was not as if he was much in Merch. Peeta sent him home with a task, Peeta had been intrigued with Gale and Katniss's many shared traits, and he thought there might be some kind of shared ancestry between them, and if there was, the better! He could stop feeling guilty, that he stole another man's beloved, even if the object of that man's affections never did harbor the same sentiments in reciprocity.

Selfishly he thought of it as doing Gale a favor, if it turned out that Gale and Katniss were some kind of distant cousins, he would had saved them the awful moment in which they realized they had married their own kin. Plus it would give the young Knight incentive to go on with his life and pursue other romantic options... Like, Dame Mason for example. In reality, he got the idea of asking Haymitch to dig up anything he could find on the Hawthornes during the opening of the Healing Center when he spied Devlin Cartwright pulling a giggling Leevy away to a secluded part of the gardens in Baker's Place, to embrace and who knows what else they could do hidden away behind the manicured bushes they had snuck behind. _'If one man could be cured of his crush on Katniss, certainly, another one could as well, provided he had the right incentive._ ' Peeta reasoned.

The following days, since their return to Winter Home, he noticed how Katniss had been more generous with her public shows of affection for him. She would allow chaste kisses to her cheeks or temple in front of the help, and even a small peck on the lips on two occasions. She would initiate hugs or tender facial caresses during conversations even with people present. When they were in the same room, they were always linked by their hands or arms and she was never too far away from him at any given moment. But, in the privacy of their chamber she was voracious; she had not relaxed her brazen, wanton streak. She would always beg for "Faster... Harder... More..." She would often come into his study in the middle of the day; drop on her knees in front of him to take him deep into her mouth until he could not breathe and every last drop of his orgasm had been swallowed with relish. She then would stand up, wipe her beautiful skillful mouth, and smirk her explanation as a simple "I missed you; I thought I would come in to help you unwind from your stressful duties." Then she would turn around and leave him, usually perplexed, normally satiated, and always wanting for more. She had turned into a vixen tease, and although his ' _Katniss_ favorite' was still the shy girl that he is able to make blush with innuendos, he also enjoyed this new daring Katniss, that willingly sought out physical closeness and gratification.

They fucked like bunnies, during the day, in different empty rooms and dark corners of their house. She had taken to letting him know when she was nude under her gowns and he could not concentrate in his work until he had had her several times. Sometimes he would just touch her and touch her, not taking his pleasure, he would save that for the night time, and then he would let loose enjoying the buildup of the day, sometimes it would be _her_ doing the very same thing to _him_. 

It was not until that night, that he had entered their chamber, to find a completely bare Katniss lying in bed on her stomach, legs bent upwards at the knees, and crossed at her ankles. She was propped on her elbows, playing with a silken length of rope that she twisted around her fingers and then pulled away slowly. Her hair was tightly braided, which to him meant something that made his member swell almost at once. He approached their bed slowly, his predatory mode turned on, he did not know what tonight would bring, but he was extremely excited. As the mattress dipped at her side, she said without even looking up at him.

"You never told me what it was that Finn's friends would do in bed with rope... I am feeling... curious tonight" her voice was velvety smooth, and her words were sticky and sweet as honey. His cock throbbed painfully... she was going to be so sore in the morning; he was already making mental notes to call Effie to take over her duties right after he awoke for the day. He was already feeling sorry for the love marks he was going to leave behind on her beautiful, perfect olive skin.

"Well, my lady, you are in tremendous luck, as I am feeling inexplicably compelled to share the stories, to impart my knowledge, both theoretical and in practice..." He said lifting his nightgown over his head and tossing it away. His hand traveling the length of her body, from her beautifully shaped shoulders, sliding over her back, stopping to lightly squeeze her perfectly round behind, to caressing her taut legs, and finishing by kissing the tip of her big toe. He said in a strained voice, lips against her foot, "You better brace yourself, sweetie, because I will be generous in showing you what can be done to a woman as beautiful and enticing as you, once you are completely in my power..." He could feel her skin breaking out in goosebumps under his fingers. He smirked, he had her now, he could see her straining to cover her blush, "I am going to make you scream my name so many times... Your voice will be hoarse by morning" with that he flipped her onto her back, and made good on all of his promises.

 

===========================

 

She woke up with a start. It was still very dark outside the window. She surmised she had not slept very long as the roots of her hair were still damped with the sweat from the physical activities they had been engaged in, before passing out on her lover’s chest. She was sticky between her legs with all the substances her and the man under her had released.

She decided it was time to leave his bed, and return to her own house. Cashmere had never slept a whole night in her lovers’ beds, and she was not about to start now. She searched the room for her clothing and was glad to locate every piece that had been discarded in the same spot. She gingerly disentangled herself from the Prince's sheets. A bad omen already as she discovered in surprise, it had not been the Prince's chest she had been using as a pillow. She could not remember who exactly had shared their exploits, in the limited amount of light in the chamber, she could only see what she suspected was Brutus's obscure features.

She quickly dressed and fixed her hair as best as she could, and made her way back to her house seemingly unnoticed, with only a Peacekeeper following her at a safe distance to ensure her safe returned to her chateau. She was surprised to not have been greeted by a moody Glimmer. Her maid informed her that Lady Crane had not returned from the Palace that night, and if she had not been so tired and desperate for her soft bed, she would had greatly minded and taken Glimmer's absence as another bad omen. But at the moment, she just sighed in relief. There would be no argument over her tardiness or disheveled appearance tonight.

Her patience had started to wear thin in these past few weeks, especially after the debacle of the Concubine visit, when Glimmer had angrily demanded an explanation for her actions and words in the presence of the of the King. Glimmer wanted to know why Cashmere was so hell bent into keeping the girl in her service and even said she suspected something foul being planned on Cashmere’s part. It had been their biggest fight; just behind the one when Cashmere had suggested Glimmer terminate her pregnancy before the King was informed of it, and Glimmer’s stubborn refusal to get rid of the bastard. She hated that her beloved Glimmer was carrying a child and she would be taken away from her soon. She only hoped her plans had been effective, because pretty Glimmer had been right all along... She had plans for the concubine and she needed her to stay put in her husband's bed, until Cashmere’s position was set and secure. ' _Soon enough, very soon_ '

She quickly bathed, to wash the sex from her body and changed into comfortable nightclothes and went to bed. The next day was near, and with it, a slew of bad news for her, and her loved ones.

 

===========================

 

Two days later, only forty eight hours, after the wildest fucking session they had ever had, and her body was still sore. But she craved him so much, she desired him, it was inexplicable how much she needed to be under his weight, having him thrusting in and out of her. It was unbearable to have him lying right next to her, as he snored ever so softly. It was a good thing he had fallen asleep on his back and did not bother to pull the covers on his naked form.

The window had been shut closed earlier in the night, and there had been a fire roaring in the hearth, the room temperature was comfortable and inviting. She slowly sat up to admire her husband as he slept peacefully. His member was flaccid and shrunken, but her mouth salivated with anticipation, she quickly braided her loose hair securing it away from her face. She lowered her lips to his manhood, and took all of him into her mouth. He reacted quickly, he twitched, and twisted, and moaned, and groggily placed his hands on her head. She brought her hands to help her pump him up and down in her fist as he had grown to his full size in her mouth and a great part of him did not fit anymore.

"Katniss..." He hissed in pleasure.

She let a moan of her own escape her throat, and he jerked his hips into her more forcefully. She swirled her tongue around his swollen head, greedily lapping at the small drop that had been released on his tip.

"You taste so good, my Lord... I love causing you pleasure, sir." She mumbled with her mouth still full of him.

"Mmm... Fuck, Katniss... Do not; do not call me Sir when you are sucking me... It is too much... I will... I will explode in your beautiful mouth too fast!" He gasped his words barely intelligible.

"Oh, my Lord, but I am your most loyal servant, I will do this to you all night if necessary... Sir!" Her voice was so sultry, he felt his impending release.

"Fuck!" He grabbed her head and pushed her away from him as carefully as he could, he clambered out of the bed, and quickly pulled her to a sitting position on the edge of the mattress.

"Open your mouth... Use your hands on your breasts!" He said in a frenzy, she did as she had been told, and he started pumping himself quickly and hard, grunting and spasming a second later, his eyes hooded and filled with lust fixed on her face, as he let go his release in her waiting open mouth, he saw her swallow everything he gave her, while still fondling her erected nipples.

"Aaargh... You are going to be the death of me woman!" He growled harshly, taking her chin roughly in his clean hand tilting her head up to kiss her hard. She moaned pitifully. When he released her, she scooted back into their bed and with a smile called him to her by curling her index finger.

He crawled after her, she leaned back on her elbows, and as he came closer, she parted her legs, to cradle his hips between her thighs. He was on all fours, already in the spot she had cleared for him, his hands supporting his weight at each side of her waist, their faces only a scarce few inches away from the other.

"What time is it that you had to wake me with such compelling techniques?" He asked smirking amusedly.

"Mmm... It is still a couple of hours before dawn... I just... Wanted you inside me, I thought you would not mind giving me a pre-dawn snack." She said with a seductive smile. "Was I wrong?"

"Never, my lady! I will feed you whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you need it!" He assured her. He gave her another kiss, this one more sweet and loving than the previous one. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto her and in one fluid motion, she wrapped her legs around his thighs, making him lose his footing, falling over right where she had wanted him to be all along.

They kissed long and languidly, she made little sighing noises every time she felt his stubble scratch a new part of her body, as his kisses descended from her face and jaw to her chest, where he took his time to bathe both her breasts in attention. She moaned quietly into the room, her eyes closed and her back arched into him. Her hands had been roaming all over his strong back, exploring every ripple of his muscles as he moved over her, her legs twisting with his, until she dragged her right foot all the way from his perfectly chiseled calve, to his perfectly shaped buttocks. She let one of her hands tangle in his soft golden hair, while the other slid down to feel the soft skin of his other buttock, as her foot retreated to begin its journey up his leg. She had finally allowed herself to acknowledge how much she loved his backside, so she always sought out to touch him there whenever she could, clothed or not.

He trailed kisses down her belly, and reached her sex with his tongue, her whole body squirmed; he took his time to lick her already overly moistened folds. His fingers made their way into her crevice and she soon was gasping for air moving her hips in tandem with his mouth and hands. Her fists grabbing handfuls of their sheets, as she spiraled closer to her goal.

"Oh, Peeta... Please take me... I know you are ready! I can feel you hard on my limbs... Pleeeease." She begged so quietly, he was used to this tone of voice, it was the one she used when she was at the brink. He obliged, sheathing himself into her warmth easily. She was so wet for him, there had been no friction at all, and he knew by experience, there was a pool of wetness on the bed under her bottom, which meant, she was lubricated and ready in other openings, but he resisted the urge to flip her over and take her there.

He had done it before, but only at her request, he would not dare do it if she did not ask for it. Taking her from behind was reserved for their most rough fucking. Burying himself deep in her womanhood while twisting her rope like braid in his hand and arm, pulling on it while he thrust fast and hard into her, was probably his favorite position. But like before, she had to agree to do so before he even tried it. He startled and stopped as her hand pushed his chest forcefully away from her.

"I need more... I want more... My Lord..." She whined at him, her eyes begging him pitifully. He had no idea of what he should do, she pushed up higher on the bed, and lifted her bottom to him, his face reflecting his confusion, so she reached for his member, and brought it back to her, this time lower than before, she let the tip of his head circled her second crevice, and he looked at her with widen, surprised, and lustful eyes. He needed no more explanation as he pushed into her, ripping a scream from the back of her throat, her whole body lifted off the mattress with the intrusion, falling back heavily with a thud just as fast. "Fill all of me please, Sir... Make me whole with you" she said between gasps and moans, her eyes closed tightly and her body tense.

"What...?" He strained to say; watching her like this was too much for him, if he moved too much he would be done in a second. But she once more, eyes wide opened and intent on where they were connected, grabbed his hand, and dragged his fingers all around her folds coating them with her lubrication, then she keened.

"Please... I want to finish!" She almost sobbed.

Without hesitation, he plunged two fingers into her, effectively filling her completely, his thumb came to rub on her fleshy button, and her head rolled backwards in ecstasy, her hands pinching and squeezing her breasts while guttural animalistic noises fell from her mouth, only a few words were discernible out of all the gibberish she was mumbling.

"Yes, my love, yes!... Just like that, baby... harder... Peetaaaah... Yes, yes, yes... Ooooh just a bit harder my Love... Peeta, love... Peeta, P... Aaaaaaah." He had long ago latched his greedy lips to her skin, making his way up and down from her chest to her jaw and back, kissing her breasts when her hands would allow it. His fingers had pumped in and out of her relentlessly, he had added a third and even a forth finger before she convulsed under him. He had finished a fraction of a second before she had.

In all her delirium and the fogginess of her climax, she thought to write a note to Johanna and thank her for her suggestion... although maybe she would probably reconsider it once she was thinking more clearly. She did not want her friend to respond with an ‘I told you so’ note, she could even see her smirking at her.

She usually warned him to empty himself in her vagina, he was not sure of why, but he always obeyed, this time there had been no time, let alone no stopping it. It had been too intense to prevent it. He would have to think of a way to make it up to her. For now, he was going to shower her in kisses before sleep pulled her under.

Maybe it was because she had unwittingly alluded to the words first, maybe it was because he felt bold and alive and full of energy, maybe it was the contrary and he felt drunk with love and still hazy from his powerful orgasm, but the words slipped his lips, as he has placing tiny kisses on the curve of her neck,

"I love you Katniss" the whisper was dreamy, and soft, and oh so tender, but it made her react like a trapped wild beast. She tried to throw him off of her, but his weight had her pinned down to the bed. "No! Stop, Katniss, stop! Damn it!" He hissed as his body pressed her down even more, keeping her in place.

"It is bad luck, Peeta! You cannot do this, you cannot say it... If I let you say it, I will say it, and then I will lose you! I cannot lose you! Not now! I will not be able to survive without you!" Her eyes where full of angry tears, and she kept trying to wiggle her body with no result. Her voice was weak and broken.

"I cannot keep censuring myself, Katniss..." His eyes had soften at her terrified expression, but, he was not going to back down now, he was not going to take it back, she deserved to hear it, and he was dying to say it. "I do love you, with all of my heart, all of my being, I love you, sweetheart, and I will say it to you when I please to say it, because it is the truth, I LOVE YOU KATNISS EVERDEEN!" He cradled her tear stained face in both of his hands with such love, it was heartbreaking. "Will you stop being so scared and let me love you, once and for all? Please... I am begging you." His voice not even above a whisper, she closed her eyes tightly, and with a sob, nodded once, letting her lithe body relax under his warm and protective weight.

"I love you too, Peeta Mellark." She allowed the words pass her lips, and because she was exhausted and her subconscious was taking over, she whispered into his lips that were now kissing her tenderly, " _We_ love you too" he did not seem to have heard her, which was alright with her, this was not the moment to scare him shitless with her unfounded fears.

"How could you ever think that confessing our love for each other would be a bad omen, bringing chaos and pain around us?" He said softly as he kissed her chin. "You have no idea how relieved I am to have said it... And just to show you how wonderful it is, I am going to say it again... I love you Katniss!" She accepted his kiss, the words to return the sentiment were just forming on her lips, and then...

"HELP! PLEASE HELP US!" The crashing of hooves resonated loudly over the cobblestone in the front courtyard; the screaming that had ripped the silence of the night still rang in their ears.

He heard the commotion downstairs, as he jumped out of bed, one leg already into his discarded trousers.

"My shirt!" He growled as he finished buttoning up his pants in record time, he felt the cool fabric of his soft undershirt collide with his torso, and looked up to find Katniss had already donned her nightgown and was pushing an arm through the sleeve of her robe. The knock on the door was loud enough to wake the whole floor, which thankfully was empty except for Peeta and Katniss.

"Coming!" He yelled, turning to make sure Katniss was decent, as he reached the door in three strides, and pulled it open. "What in blazes is going on?"

"M-my Lord... T-the Duchess... They are here... And... And..."

"And What?" He yelled angrily at poor terrified Leevy.

"There is blood all over her, my Lord!" She cried out.

 

‘ _I love you... Such simple words_...’ Her world was crashing around her, and she could not stop the vomit from coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotes from Catching Fire on Bold/Italics. Thoughts in Italics. Recognizable phrases from the series not otherwise italicized or bolden, is because are not direct quotes, but had been paraphrased. 
> 
> Notes for the song 'Down in The Valley' were posted/referenced in the previous chapter. Lyrics in Italics. 
> 
> I'm thinking of participating on the next round of PIP... Still undecided, if I do, this would be my first time there. 
> 
> Next chapter will bring Cashmere to Winter Home, and she will stay around for a while. Be brave my readers! We are almost done!


	21. The Duchess comes to Winter Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. 
> 
> Thank you abk1973 for your time! I appreciate your work immensely!

The only sound in the sitting room was the clunky tick-tock, caused by the pendulum of the old grandfather clock sitting tall against the wall decorated with two enormous paintings one depicting autumn and the other spring of the same landscape, hanging on each side of the clock. Both paintings bear the scribbled Mellark signature that adorned every painting or sketch produced by Peeta's hands.

Somewhere in the distance, a rooster was calling to wake up who knows who, most people in the house had been woken by the pandemonium unleashed by the arrival of the Duchess about an hour before sunrise. _'It is mostly a mockery to all in the house'_ Katniss mused. The sun was just lifting it's head, sending oh, so very weak streaks of light to scamper around the cold ground outside, and bounce into the house leaking through the few open shades.

"If I did not know better, I would say, this was the beginning, of a promising, peaceful day... What a load of lies..." Katniss sighed into the steaming cup of tea she had been nursing and had yet to take an actual sip of, while staring out the window, watching how farm hands trickled in for a bowl of porridge or oatmeal before the start of their labor. “Better make my way to the upper floor, to feed the ladies... what another load of...” she muttered under her breath, and turned toward the kitchens to fetch the food for her guests.

 

Mrs Everdeen and Primrose, had arrived not twenty minutes after the Duchess was rushed into her chambers by Thresh; someone had had the presence of mind to send for the Healers as soon as they saw the state of the woman. They actually made it into the chamber to assess Cashmere's state not five minutes after Peeta himself had made it there, with Katniss reacting to the news in such a manner that pretty much crippled her momentarily. Peeta had no choice but to watch her before going to even find out what was wrong with the other woman.

"It is not even her own blood! She is not actually bleeding, although there are some cuts and bruises on her..." Clove had been explaining frantically to Thresh and Effie. The presence of the young lady took Peeta by surprise for a moment, but he shook his head from it and entered the chamber without even knocking.

"What in the name of all that is sacred is going on in here?" He asked harshly, he finally saw a catatonic looking Cashmere slumped in her bed, she was breathing hard and fast, but did not seem like she was blinking at all. "What the hell is wrong with her?" He demanded walking up to her bedside.

"Sir Gloss is dead, murdered right in front of her..." Clove's voice was strangled and frail; she was interrupted by Katniss' gasp of shock at seeing the woman lying on the bed. Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes frightened and wide.

"Oh no! Is she hurt?" She burst out without removing her hand from her lips. Clove looked at Katniss with narrowed eyes, almost accusingly, taking her appearance in. Katniss’s braid was messy and hanging carelessly over her shoulder, her face was a mixture of puffy, glowing and innocent sweetness, and her flowing oversized nightclothes and opened robe just exaggerated her loveliness. Clove hated Katniss for looking so pure and virginal, when it was apparent that she was freshly fucked.

"Katniss, I do not think you should be here! Lady Trinket, may you escort my..."

"Why am I not allowed here?" She cut Peeta's directive off stubbornly.

"Because you just got sick all over the floor in our chamber! That is why! Now, go with Effie and get some tea or something for Lady Clove, if we need anything else I will send word!" He spat at her, immediately regretting his outburst, he did not mean to be so harsh with her, but he was already on edge, and he had no clue as to what to do about Cashmere being there and in this condition.

"Fine! As you wish... My Lord!" She retorted like a bratty little girl that did not get her way, then she turned on her heel and left the room stomping her feet. Effie followed her sighing heavily.

"Call us if you need anything, Your Grace." Effie said with a small huff.

"All I need is for Katniss to be looked after while I deal with Lady Cashmere." He said softly, his blue eyes pleading.

Effie nodded, and said as she was crossing the threshold,  
"The Healers should be here shortly".

"Thank you my Lady" with that he turned back to see Clove, who was running her fingers carefully through Cashmere's tangled hair.

"So what happened?" He asked again, his voice a bit softer this time.

Clove, who was sitting on the mattress next to Cashmere, stood up and took a deep breath; she brought one hand to rub her forehead, while the other rested at her hip. She walked around the bed, until she was face to face with the Duke.

"I arrived at her house... Against my parents’ wishes." She stopped and let a stuttering breath out. "I cannot even begin to imagine their disappointment in me now! I should have... done something to let them know... before fleeing like that, but I had to get her here... Fast!" She looked up at him then and her brown eyes pierced his, a world of pain and sadness looming inside hers.

"Well, you are here now, my lady. I will personally make sure your family is notified that you have arrived in Winter Home, and are my guest until you decide to return to the Capitol. I will provide for your every need during your stay, Lady Clove. I thank you for... uh... your help." He said carefully, he was not any closer to know what in the blazes had happened to the both of them, or how they managed to run away from the Capitol in the middle of the night, but he knew he had to give Clove time and space. "Would you like a change of clothing? A bath perhaps? And then I am sure, Lady Katniss is seeing to provide you with some sustenance." He said even softer than before.

Clove looked down at herself; she had not realized how much of the blood had transferred to her own gown, even her hands and a streak on her cheek and forehead were faintly stained with red dried blood. Her hair was windswept and covered in knots, but she could not see that unless in a looking glass. Peeta wondered once more, how did they travele all the way here?

"I... I would love to clean up yes, but... I can- I cannot leave her alone, not while she is like this!" She sobbed lightly. But before Peeta could say anything, he heard the sound of rushing steps and a knock on the door frame, since the door had been wide open the whole time. He turned to see Mrs. Everdeen and Prim ready to jump in to action.

"My Lady Clove, you will not have to worry... Her Grace will be in the care of the most capable hands I know!" He said smiling brightly between the Everdeen women and Clove.

Mrs. Everdeen gave the young woman a sweeping look, she was wearing her no nonsense face, and she entered the room and gave the same scanning glance at Cashmere, raising one eyebrow. Then she spoke.

"Primrose, take that chair over to the Lady and have her sit and do a quick assessment. Then I think she might need a bath and a sleeping gown, have someone run to the kitchens and put in an order for hot porridge or oatmeal. Then have her eat, and find her a room to sleep. I will check on the other patient." Prim nodded, and quietly did as her mother had ordered. Peeta was mesmerized watching the both of them working. Prim looked so grown up wearing her "apprentice uniform", which consisted of a baby blue, long sleeve, floor length linen dress with white cuffs, with a simple white apron on top. Her hair was tightly braided, akin to her sister's usual dark braid. She was serious and very professional. He could hear her asking questions of the general health condition of Clove. A moment later, three maids entered the room, and Thresh steped out, finally closing the doors behind him.

"Oh, Rue dear! So glad you are here! I need you to prepare a bath tub for Lady Clove. I will need some clean sleeping gowns, and someone to notify the cooks we need porridge or oatmeal for the ladies... then I will need you to help me, assist lady Clove with her bath, and dressing her. What say you?" Prim smiled sweetly at her friend and the young maid smiled in return.

"I can do all that!" She replied easily.

"Good! Let us work then!" The two girls did not lose any time at all, leading Clove out of the chamber and into the washing room down the hall.

"I will need help undressing the Duchess" came the leveled voice of the Healer. Peeta crossed his arms over his chest uncomfortably.

"I will call in more help" he said starting to walk to the doors.

"I need a man to lift her up for me; we are going to have to give her a sponge bath if we cannot bring her to the tub, since all the tubs in here are fixed to their floors." She gave him a look and he merely shrugged.

"It will be the future to have rooms dedicated to bathing, without having to move the tubs around." He said flatly.

"Either way, my Lord... I will need you to help me do this." She said even more flatly.

Peeta squirmed, "Um... I do not think so, ma'am." He said wrinkling his nose as he grimaced. "There is absolutely no way I am getting Cashmere disrobed and into a bath, much less touch her naked body in order to wash her!" He seemed disturbed by just the thought.

"You are her husband! Who do you suggest should do this for her?" Mrs. Everdeen asked with a frustrated huff.

"Are you sure I cannot just call a stable boy, or something? I would much rather avoid being in the same room as the Duchess while she is nude." He said scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Plenty of other men have seen her undressed; I doubt she would mind an extra pair of eyes... Plus... Katniss will be so angry, I do not even want to think of what she will come up with to punish me for touching another woman! Naked, no less!" He said shaking his head; Mrs. Everdeen fixed him with a scowl and cold look.

"You really are afraid of Katniss' reaction then?" She said after studying him for a moment, his lips were pursed and his brows were furrowed, his eyes were amusedly frantic.

"You have no idea how much it terrifies me!" He all but squeaked. "I swore to her, I would never touch another woman, especially the Duchess. If she finds out I helped her bathe, she will have my... Um... She will not hesitate to maim me!" He finished emphatically.

"Well, I need help, because in the state The Duchess is in at the moment, she will be dead weight. I am sure Katniss will be reasonable about this!" She saw Peeta give her a look as if to say ' _You do not know your own child_ '.

"If I do this, I will send her to you so you can reason with her and explain why it was necessary for me to assist you!" He said blinking and rubbing both his arms nervously. With another frustrated noise, she directed him as to how to do each thing she needed done.

In barely any time at all they had stripped Cashmere completely, and Mrs. Everdeen had her draped in a towel and a robe. Peeta picked her up in his arms and for the first time since her arrival Cashmere made a strangled noise, that was part sob part gasp, he stopped walking for a moment so Mrs. Everdeen could catch up with them and take a look at her patient. Cashmere's green eyes fixed on Peeta's and it was almost like she had snapped out of a trance, a long dream where she had been trapped until then.

"Gloss is dead..." Her voice scratchy with disuse. "My brother... Got killed defending me... And Gl-Glimmer..." She fell apart in a sorrowful wail of despair, "Oh God... Peter... Glimmer... Glimmer... She's..." She started choking on her own words. Cashmere was broken, sobbing, and so small in his arms; he felt his heart break for her, not for the first time, although she usually managed to undo any grace given to her in a matter of minutes... He only thought of the loneliness she must be feeling at the moment. Peeta looked up to see Mrs. Everdeen react to the news of yet another one of her only surviving blood relative's demise, the woman just hardened her face, and shook her head. "I am... The last of my lineage... I am all alone... The Mockingjay’s really are extinct! And my beautiful Glimmer is gone... I have nothing left." She choked between gasps and sobs.

"Mmm... You really are not alone Cashmere... You still have, Lady Clove... She cares a big deal for you, she risked a lot to bring you here safe" Peeta said in a more leveled voice than he could possibly thought he could have.

"Clove? Where is she?" The Duchess whimpered.

"My apprentice is tending to her at the moment. I expect she is getting her own bath as we speak, and as soon as we have word from the kitchens, we will be feeding you both something, before we put you in bed for a rest." Answered Mrs. Everdeen softly, who Cashmere had just noticed was walking at their side.

They finally arrived at the washroom where someone had already prepared a tub with steamy plain water. Mrs Everdeen had instructed the help to abstain from adding any soaps or oils to the bath water, as she was not sure if her patient had any cuts or lacerations, and she did not wanted to encourage any potential infections. The Healer peeled off the robe and towel from her patient's body, and Peeta lowered her right into the bath. Cashmere gave a long, deep sigh when she finally sat at the bottom of the tub. She relaxed and let Mrs. Everdeen scrubb her skin with a sponge.

Peeta just stood awkwardly by the door of the room, looking anywhere but at his wife's naked body. It made him feel uncomfortable and dirty in so many ways, it was a miracle he had not left the house for the barracks by now, anything was better than being in the house with Katniss, who still had crazy mood swings, and this depressing picture of the once proud Cashmere DeLoach.

Mrs Everdeen was done soon enough. The water was murky and small flecks of what Peeta surmised was dried blood, dust, twigs and leaves from the road floated all over the surface of the water. Mrs. Everdeen had spent the most time cleaning Cashmere's hair, as it had been caked in sweat, blood and dirt. Peeta called for another pail of hot water as the dirty water was being drained and dumped; he figured it was necessary to rinse the woman with clean water, to which Mrs. Everdeen agreed.

After another two rinses, where the water finally stayed clear and free of debris, the patient was deemed cleaned, and without major wounds. Just a few scratches and bruises. Some of the bruises were from her day's events, others from her amorous encounters. Mrs. Everdeen gave a surreptitious look at Peeta as she discovered those particular bruises. She could not help but to feel ashamed and sorry for him, his wife was the most expensive whore in all of Panem. she then understood his reluctance to even touch the woman; what husband would want to touch a wife who never respected her marriage vows and marital bed? Then she thought of his refusal to help on account of not wanting to upset Katniss, going as far as to insinuate that Cashmere was the illicit mistress, whilst Katniss was the lawful Lady he owed fidelity to, instead of being the other way around.

She found it troublesome that this man's allegience was so warped from what should be the norm. She was not aware that Peeta had never felt an ounce of affection towards Cashmere, and vice-versa. That they had pretty much been forced into the sham of a marriage by the King, so that he could enjoy the lover of his choice.

Cashmere announced that she was fine enough to stand on her own and toweled herself dry, and then walked back to her chamber with some support. Peeta seemed a little relieved that he did not have to carry her in his arms back to her bed. It was a good thing that Cashmere was walking, because when they entered the bed chamber, they found a formally dressed Katniss setting a small table with some porridge, eggs, toast, marmalade and chamomile tea. Lady Clove was already there waiting for her friend, and as soon as she saw Cashmere walk through the door leaning on Mrs. Everdeen for support, Clove rushed to her aid.

They deposited the still unsteady Duchess on a sturdy, yet comfortable straight back chair at the small table. Katniss made Clove sit as well, before she and Cecilia served them their small meal.

Cashmere found she could only hold toast and tea, and did not eat anything else, while Clove polished everything that had been set before her, including seconds. They were both served fresh water which they both drank greedily. All throughout the meal, Cashmere would muffle a sob behind her cloth napkin, or wipe roughly at a wayward tear rolling down her face. The whole situation had turned the air in the room so stale and thick it was almost impossible to breathe.

Mrs. Everdeen offered the Duchess a dose of sleep syrup, that was gratefully accepted. She then made the same offer to Lady Clove who graciously refused it. When Katniss had informed Clove, that she had prepared her a chamber in which to rest, she refused vehemently, begging to stay guard at her friend's side. Katniss finally ordered a cot to be set up in the Duchess' chamber, until better accommodations could be procured.

By the time everyone had left the Duchess' chamber, the sun was high in the sky and the grounds outside were bustling with people going about their everyday routines. Mrs. Everdeen and Prim returned to Baker's Place to open the Healing Center for business. Thom had been tasked with escorting the women back to their posts, which he did readily, with a silly smile on his face. Mrs. Everdeen seems to have started to tolerate the young man, and that in Thom’s book was already a victory.

After they saw the Everdeen women to the door, Peeta smiled at Katniss sweetly once back inside their house.

"My love, you should return to bed, at least until lunch. You look tired." Peeta whispered sweetly into her ear, as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side as to kiss her cheek.

"I could say the same to you, my Lord." She retorted rolling her eyes, but placing her hand over his and intertwining their fingers together. "And, do not call me that!" She chided.

"Call you what, _my love_?" He said into her neck that he was now nuzzling.

She giggled and gave him a half-hearted slap on the arm, "That!" She said as he encircled her waist with his other arm, positioning himself flush behind her.

"You have to be more specific, _my love_... There is no way I can begin to think of what are you referring to!" He said as he trailed kisses from behind her ear to whatever skin was left exposed by her modest neckline. She giggled again and he pulled her even closer to him. "I have... half a mind... To toss you over my shoulder and run to our chamber, and have you hard and fast before your nap." He said pressing his awakening hardness into her behind. "What say you, my love? Can I make love to you?" He sucked her earlobe, and she was about to acquiesce to his ill-advised idea, when a female voice cleared her throat right behind them.

As usual, Katniss jumped out of Peeta's arms so fast she put a good foot of distance between the both of them, by the time Peeta had sighed and rubbed his face in annoyance at the interruption and turned around to see who it was that had all but killed any chance of bedding the love of his life before he had to face the rest of his day.

Of course he found the judgmental stare of a disgruntled Clove, trained on him.

Clove was clad in the sleep clothes she was provided with, plus a very elaborately embroidered robe, Katniss knew she had to have pulled  out of Cashmere's personal wardrobe. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping softly against the rug under her slippered feet.

"My Lady Clove, how can we be of service?" Katniss interrupted the glaring war between Peeta and Clove. It was surprising how she could switch into the epitome of properness and composure at the drop of a hat, when in her house; Katniss truly was in her domain.

Clove finally tore her glaring eyes from Peeta's and glared at Katniss instead, which was a big mistake, as Peeta would have none of it, this was Katniss' house, and both Clove and Cashmere were refugees. The least they could do was to be civil with their hostess. He was about to put Clove in her place when Lady Trinket walked into the little scene unfolding in the hall.

"Oh, there you are, Lady Katniss! I just left the kitchens, most of the help and farm hands had already partaken of breakfast, but neither you, myself or His Grace has had a chance to sit for the meal. I understand we are way past our schedule, but I was still wondering what would your orders are with regards to breakfast. I for one think we should just have small rations to snack on while catching up with the rest of our set duties for the day. But I do not know if you would prefer to serve his Grace a full meal instead and then adjust to our itinerary. Of course, our guests would be politely invited to join us at the table, if they so please!" She finally finished her long spiel, sparing Clove a strange look as she mentioned the word 'guests'

Katniss thought about her options for a moment, Peeta simply returned to glower at Clove, who was just standing there studying Katniss curiously.

"Well, my Lord was just suggesting going back and catching up on his sleep. I already had a cup of tea and serving of porridge earlier. The kitchen aids should be starting on lunch by now and I would hate for them to also get thrown off their schedules." She turned to look at Peeta, "Does my Lord have any preference? It is close to nine in the morning, and I know you only had to respond to some correspondence and take a quick look at the farm books... It is completely up to you my Lord. If you rather go back to bed, then Lady Trinket and I can manage with snacks and I will make sure to serve an early lunch." She was back in all her 'lady of the house' glory as she spoke, he loved it when she took into consideration what he wanted or what his opinion was about a specific matter.

"If you and Lady Trinket are having small bites here and there during your morning, I can do the same as well, my lady. An early lunch sounds reasonable! As always, anything Lady Winter Home decides is best!" He said placing a kiss on her cheek, before adding, "I will head upstairs to wash up, and make myself presentable for the day. I will be in my study until lunch is served... But... I would like for you to come see me, when you get a moment, my lady." He nodded at Effie, and then looked at Clove who was still standing there quietly observing with interest their interactions. "Lady Clove, Welcome to Winter Home, I leave you into your hostess' capable hands. I know my Lady Katniss always strives to provide the best attention to each guest that visits **Her** house!" He purposely emphasized the word 'her', then turned away from the women towards his bathroom.

"Very well, I will go down to the kitchens again to inform Mrs. Sae about the slight change in the schedule!" announced Effie.

"Thank you very much, Lady Trinket! I truly appreciate the altering of your own activities, to help me this morning." Katniss said gratefully at a now beaming Effie. She could be so easily pleased some times, " _just be polite and grateful and Effie would think everything was perfectly harmonious with the world!"_ Peeta often said; he was right.

"Not a problem at all, my dear lady." She said with a smile and then turned to Clove, "My Lady Clove, Welcome to Winter Home, if there is anything we can do to assist you, you are more than welcome to approach either Lady Katniss or myself. We will take care of you. Now, I will excuse myself and return to my duties!" Then both women curtsied to each other and Effie disappeared down the hall.

"I apologize for the interruptions Lady Clove. Now, you have my undivided attention, how can I be of service?" Katniss asked politely.

"Do you think it appropriate to act so... amorous with your lover while his wife is going through the worst time of her life just a floor above you?" Clove asked with enough venom in her words to kill a blue whale in an instant. She was however taken aback by the lack of response from the younger woman, who was still standing tall with her hands clasped in front of herself and an impassive look on her face. Only her eyes seemed to shine more intensly, _almost like the swirl of the smoke of a burning inferno behind her retinas_ , Clove mused to herself.

Katniss chose to not bite the malicious bait. She could think of a host of inappropriate things she had to go through since Cashmere barged into her life trying to ensnare her little sister into become a concubine for a man twice her age, while she cavorted with the King and Prince in plain view of all of Panem, shaming her husband and demanding humiliating conversation from her. Instead Katniss calmly asked something else. "Are Her Grace's accommodations suitably comfortable, my Lady? I must confess, hers, is the only chamber in my house, I do not tend to myself. It was completely furnished by the Duchess herself, so I have never seen the need to make any changes to it." Katniss knew her comment was biting, but was not going to allow this stranger that had caused disruption in her life in more ways than Clove was aware of, insult her in her own house.

"The Chamber is fine." Clove snarled back.

"How about your cot, my lady? You still have the option to stay in your own suit, if you so please. You also are welcome to some sleep syrup if you need it, and there is plenty of food and beverages we can provide for you if you are hungry or thirsty." She said a little more passively now. "You must be exhausted after riding all night. By the way, I dispatched one of my maids to the telegraph station with a message for your family, not twenty minutes ago. I expect she has already delivered it by now." She paused to let the other woman process the information, and form her response. It took longer than she expected, it seem that Clove was struggling internally about something; when she finally spoke, she sounded tired and peeved.

"Thank you. For contacting my parents, that is... They were probably worried about me." She sighed. "The cot was fine; I just could not go to sleep. I keep seeing the horrific scenes from yesterday unfold in my mind. And I am not sure I would want to take sleep syrup and become prisoner of my nightmares. The images are too fresh." She said and shuffled her feet.

"At least follow me into the drawing room, where we can sit and have a cup of tea." Suggested Katniss noticing how the other woman seemed to be tired of standing.

"Did you not have other duties to attend to?" Asked Clove with narrowing eyes.

"Oh, I can spare a day for rest," she said nonchalantly. "Farm work is very predictable, one follows the pattern and everything falls into place real quick, especially when you have other people taking care of the real pressing matters and the things that have to be done daily without fail. Since we are not expecting a hunting party until next week, I can leisurely work at a self-imposed pace and still be done in time for everything else." She offered Clove a seat, and then called on Leevy who had been hanging about waiting for Katniss to need her help. She ordered tea and biscuits.

The two women sat in silence for a while; their refreshments arrived and were served, before Clove decided to speak again. She noticed Katniss had not touched the biscuits on the tray, and barely sipped her tea once in the time elapsed since the maid had brought in the snacks.

"Will you not eat?" She asked curiously, and Katniss wrinkled her nose for just a second

"I ate a few spoonful’s of porridge this morning as I was preparing your and the Duchess' meal. For some reason my stomach feels like it cannot hold much nourishment at the moment. But you should eat my lady! Do not abstain on my account"

"Did you cook the food we ingested this morning yourself?" She asked with an edge of surprise.

"Um, yes... I needed to feel useful, after Peet... Um... His Grace all but forced me out of the chamber while everyone else was trying to assist Her Grace." She said taking another tiny sip of lukewarm tea. "I usually try and help with what I can, either down in the kitchens or out in the stables... Makes me feel... useful" she shrugged, and sipped again.

"Hmm... I see why he thinks so highly of you, you are just like the stories my friend shares of him. Always covered in horse dung... You two are probably a sight to behold... Two peas in a pod!" She smiled, but her eyes were cold. "You know... You can call him whatever you want, Miss Everdeen... I can see you and His Grace have the kind of intimacy that is hard to keep hidden behind the privacy of your chamber... It sort of reminds me of the relationship my eldest sister used to have with her husband, before..." Clove stopped her words with a forceful breath. Katniss just looked at her confusedly. "I am sorry. I know the Duke and Duchess have never as much as tolerated each other, but... My sister used to have a happy and loving marriage until her husband became enamored with this young thing. When my sister became pregnant she allowed the maid to become her husband's concubine and their marriage suffered much after that mistake. Luckily or unluckily for them, a child made it impossible to conjure a divorce between the two... That stupid law that binds parents to stay together until the child is of age..." She said with a twinge of arrogance and disgust.

"I am so very sorry to hear of your sister's unhappiness." Katniss muttered not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, well... I personally believe a good concubine is that, she does her job of satisfying her master's needs, without breaking her mistress' good marriage!" She said haughtily, looking her nose down at Katniss, who once again remained as if undisturbed by the mean spirited jab. Katniss took another sip of her almost cold tea and held the saucer and cup with a death grip, for a second, before placidly smiling at Clove.

"I understand. My Lord is of the mind that Concubine contracts should be outlawed, and men should make do with their own lawful wives, instead of seeking another source of companionship. But, I guess people would call him a hypocrite, seeing as he is of one such man who finds solace in the arms of a woman he loves, that is not his wife... Then again, he would not be in this position if not for the circumstances forced upon him to begin with... A pitiful situation, which nobody can call by any other name!" She said serenely. Clove's face burned red, the anger seeping out of her pores.

"W-what is that supposed to mean? You insolent..."

"I would not finish that thought, Lady Clove..." Katniss said calmly, as she wiped the corners of her lips with a napkin and setting her tea cup down delicately on the table. "Remember, you are in my house, under my roof, eating my biscuits, and wearing my clothing... Because even if that obscenely ornate robe came from the depths of the Duchess' wardrobe, it is still in my property... Oh... You look surprised! You were not aware? His Grace signed ownership of Winter Home over to me, as a... pre-engagement gift! Because, sadly for the Duchess, I am one of those awful Concubines that does not know her place, and steals married men from fake marriages of convenience such as the one between the Mellarks. Although, to my defense, it is not my doing that I even crossed paths with my Lord Peter. I would still be struggling to survive and providing for my family if it was not for the Duchess' generosity." She said the word generosity with such sarcasm, it was undeniable. "Now, I must excuse myself, and return to my many duties that I have neglected since your unexpected arrival." She stood up and saw with satisfaction how Clove had gone purple in the face with rage and the effort to contain all the nasty words she most likely was dying to vomit all over Katniss. But, as it was the norm with high society, propriety and protocol dictated their every move and reaction. And protocol said Clove had to be respectful of her hosts. Thus, Katniss enjoyed the view once more, before her next vindictive jab. "You are most welcome to... Peruse the house for something to occupy your time... Be warned, stay safely away from my Lord's study, unless you want to get an earful! He enjoys visits from my person a little too much, and he tends to be... very vocal about it... You might get offended by what his Grace does with his concubine when he feels inclined to see her." Katniss gave her another sweet smile, and left the drawing room and a furious Clove behind.

She marched directly into Peeta's study, and without even greeting him, she locked the door, which immediately caught his attention. When he looked up she had hiked her skirts as high as her hips, and had barely warned him to removed anything in front of him, he did not want smashed under her bottom, as she sat on his desk pulling the cords to her underwear and shimming out of them. She simply looked at him, and said in the flattest voice,

"Mouth, fingers, and then you can fuck me hard and loud, so loud everyone in the house is aware of what is happening on this very desk!" Her eyes told him exactly how angry she was, and he was smart enough to do as she said. Because while he sensed it was in no way directed at him, he could very well pissed her off by inquiring or refusing... He was just merely a means to release her anger and stress, and he did not mind being used by her, as long as they talked about it right after. He still took his chance and kissed her sweetly, hoping his soft touches and kisses conveyed his love for her, he felt her relax at his touch, and he knew it was alright to proceed.

He kissed her thighs carefully, taking his time. She was dripping already, but he wanted her to be so wet his member would slide into her like a hot knife in butter. He did as she asked, his mouth and fingers worked in swirling motions, and he licked and nipped her lower lips until she panted moving her hips up and down. His fingers found her warm depths curling in and out of her, hitting spots that made her moan with her eyes closed and her hips enthusiastically matching his fingers movements. Soon his teeth grazed her clitoris, and her arms that had been locked straight behind her back supporting her weight, gave out, "Yes!" She gasped loudly. He did it again and again, until she was panting heavily, and her body trembled uncontrollably. Peeta then very calmly, because there was no hurry to do this, got himself out of the confines of his trousers. But instead of penetrating her on the desk, he picked her up and carried her to his couch at the other end of the room. He sat down, with her straddled around his thighs and she sank onto him easily, he smiled at her as they moved in a practiced dance.

He let her set the pace and he just sat back and admired her, she was grinding onto his pelvic bone hard and slow, and soon he felt her walls clench around him as she moaned and grunted loudly. He wondered if she was actually feeling _that_  good or if it was an exaggeration for someone else's benefit. It took him a little longer to reach his release, but he followed suit and did not try to muffle his noises as he emptied into her.

She kissed him, hard, and then she bit into his lower lip so roughly she draw blood, he tried not to wince, but he did nonetheless. She merely pecked him on the bloody spot and heaved off of him. She straitened her gown, and then helped him up. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, and without as much as a word, she left. He stood there for a long minute, staring at the closed door from where she had left, his lips pursed and he let out an irritated huff.

"I hate it when she does that!" He muttered as he put himself under control again. "She has to stop that shit, and talk to me!" Instead of going back to his correspondence waiting for him on his desk, he went to find her.

Instead of finding Katniss, he found Clove, who was perusing his many books in his library... It was more like she waylaid him as he went past the library as she happened to see him go by. She was still in her sleep clothes, which apparently she did not mind much, so he decided it did not mattered to him either that he was in his hall with an 'indecently' dressed woman that was not his wife... Or his _symbolic_ wife to be accurate. Honestly, He really did not fancy seeing Cashmere gallivanting around his house in her usually skimpy nightclothes either. He shuddered, just imagining Katniss' wrath at that. He swallowed up his unease and went back into the library with Clove.

"My Lord, I had been informed that you gifted this house to the concubine, as a pre-engagement present! Is that true? Did I bring my best and only friend to your mistress' house?" Clove was beside herself. "How could you? This is perhaps the most profitable retreat in all of Panem, and you just gave it away to some..."

"To my future wife! Yes! I gave it to her, and you know what, my dear Lady Clove? It is none of your fucking business! This was my house that my late father bought for me as a birthday present and if I saw fit to give it away to someone else, it is my prerogative and my right to do so. If Cashmere wants a house when we divorce, because we _**will**_ divorce someday hopefully soon, I will give her whichever house she wants. Be it in the Capitol or in her old home town in District One. I will give her, her fair share of my wealth, I will not squander anything. Now, I have pressing matters to discuss with my future wife. See you at lunch... Or diner, whichever is more suited for you." He took a few steps towards the door when she shouted at him between sobs.

"How can you be so heartless?" Her chest was heaving up and down and her usually trouble free face was contorted in sorrow. He turned to face her and she shrunk a little at the rage marring his face, his whole body seemed to have expanded full of anger as he approached her menacingly.

"Listen very closely, my Lady, for I will only say this once. I have put up with Cashmere's shit for way longer than any man should have to. She caused my late fiancée to recklessly take flight, ending in a deadly accident, for which Cashmere blames _me_ although it was her words that drove my poor Margaret to do something so stupid. Then we were forced to marry by the King, because he cannot legally take a concubine or a lover, but he could keep his _niece_ close to him for his own benefit. Cashmere is a lousy wife that has never had any respect for me as husband. She wastes my coin on frivolities, her bed had been visited by so many lovers that not even Prince Cato will offer her a more respectable position, and he truly wants her, more than anything... But you already know that; do you not, Lady Clove?" She gasped offended at his last words, but did not stop cowering away from his low hissing voice. "And then, as if to add insult to injury, she forces a Concubine on me, one that I had refused, profusely... I had the good fortune, that my concubine is possibly the only good thing Cashmere has done for me in her whole life. Because my Concubine is the exact opposite of Cashmere, even when they share..." He stopped in his tracks and redirected, "Even having in common that they both come from a troubled past and a hard childhood... So, I beg, do not accuse me of being heartless, because I feel no love for a wife that sowed the disdain I feel towards her since her early adolescence. You cannot expect she would reap care and understanding... I will see to it that she is comfortable while under my protection. I have no idea the circumstances that brought you both here, and I understand better than anybody else what it is to be left orphaned and without any living blood relations. But I will not allow anyone to judge me for not magically forgiving her after the lifelong of shit she has dumped on me. No one deserves to experience certain things, but at some point in life, a person is one hundred percent responsible for their own actions. Life has finally caught up to Cashmere and the path she chose to transverse... Will I turn my back on her? No. But I will not pretend all is healed and repaired between us. I _want_ a divorce, I _will_ get a divorce, and there is nothing you can say to make me change my decision."

Clove was speechless, finally. But her face was still wet with big, fat tears that would not stop pouring. He was almost at the door once more.

"Her life is still in danger..." She panted. He stopped once more, the door that had been open during his rant, was lightly closed behind him. She continued her thoughts. "She was attacked in her house. Lord Crane... He was crazed with grief, and he blamed everything on Cashmere." Another sob, "Cashmere denied it, she said it had been the Prince's doing, but the old man would not listen to her pleas. He finally ran at her with a pistol in his hand, but Sir Gloss jumped in front of her, and disarmed the man and in the struggled Lord Crane got a hold of the Dagger of the Knight and went back to try and attack Cashmere. She laughed at Lord Crane when Sir Gloss overpowered him, but that enraged him even more and he plunged the dagger into Gloss' chest, right where his heart laid. He then said ' _Eye for an eye, your blood for my blood_ ' and fled when her help started to scream in panic calling attention to the house... Gloss died in her arms as she frantically tried to stop the bleeding from his wound. She told him he was the only person in the world she was sure that loved, and then his sight was lost for good." Clove was hiccupping and her face was mix of tears, snot and spit. "The last thing one of her maids heard Lord Crane said, was that he was not done avenging his daughter, so I grabbed Gloss' horse, that was standing ready in the courtyard, made her get on it, and took gallop to the only place I thought she would be safe... with her husband. I guess I was wrong to bring her here... She is my only friend... I know what she is, and I know who she is, I used to hate her for being the thing of Cato's desire, for stealing him away from me, but then I met her... I learned to appreciate her for what she was not and to see the very few virtues she does have... She is the only person that has ever spared a moment to talk to me, to really talk to me... I do not want to lose her, and before you ask, the answer is no, we had never been lovers; I know she is a pansexual person, but, it has never been like that for us. She is just my only friend. Please... Do not toss her away like her whole family did, she has no one left now."

"She has got you." Peeta said harsher than he intended. "What I do not understand is, where is Lady Crane in this story, and why Lord Crane would be acting in revenge so suddenly. The King has been looking to wed Lady Crane and has been actively looking for a replacement fiancée for the man, Lord Marvel for a while." Peeta said confused and curious. "It is just strange that he would now, do this, so... Arbitrarily" He saw Clove's face blanch for a moment. Then all her crying stopped and as if in a trance, she spoke hollowly.

"You must not have heard then... The Lady Crane hanged herself two nights ago"

 

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"Katniss?" She lifted her head at the sound of his voice, and tried to wave him away, the problem was that he already sounded troubled, and she had no energy or desire to be alone. She just wanted to be able to get up from her knees and leave this stupid stable, so she motioned for him to come closer.

"Over here... Just... Do not come too close just now... I think I will..." She croaked with a very ragged voice, right before heaving and violently retching. Of course he was right behind her in a second rubbing her back soothingly.

"This is twice today, sweetheart. Are you ill?" He asked with worry etched in his features.

"I am fine... is just... Having those women here, makes my bile rise at very inopportune times... And the smell of stale hay and manure and horse sweat, just... does not help my cause at all. I hate this! I just wanted to come see my dog and my horse, and remind myself that there are creatures in this world that are nice and sweet, and will not judge you... I swear animals are more civilized amongst themselves than humans are." She swiped the back of a hand roughly over her mouth to clean away the sick. He helped her up, and guided her to the entrance of the stables, where there were barrels of fresh water, he pulled a spigot on a small one atop a bigger one, and water flowed from the little venting hole. She quickly put her hands under the stream, collecting some of the liquid, then splashing it on her face, she repeated this a couple of times, then taking a mouth full and swishing it around her mouth to clean it up. When she finally spit it out, he replaced the spigot in the container, and then hand in hand, he led her out into the woods seeking fresh air and distance between them and any prying ears.

"So... You spoke to Lady Clove I surmise." He said quietly as they walked over the ground still strewn with the dead leaves of winter, and the first shoots of the early spring dandelions that were already fighting to reach sunlight.

"More like, she attacked me in my own house!" She screeched. "She had the gall to accuse me of coming between you and the Duchess and ruining your marriage!" She suddenly yelled. "ME! Like I am some sort of seductress, some kind of succubus, or something of the sort! I have never been so angry in my life! I did not set out to seduce you... to steal you away from your wife and cause trouble in your perfect little marriage!" She spat on the ground as the word marriage left her mouth. She was red in the face with anger, but she did not let his hand go. She came to a stop in the middle of a clearing that was familiar to the both of them. "I hate being the other woman Peeta!" She yelled turning on him, he only set his lips into a thin line and breathed in deeply, she was far from done. "I hate it with all my being! I truly do, and it is not because of the obvious issue of this being looked down on, the mean spirited stares and the whispering behind our backs, but because you are not mine! Not really! Because, everyone will look at me, even after we wed, and think I came out of the pits of hell with my demon like charms and ensnared you into my web of insidious sexual betrayal and sin, breaking a respectable union between you and that... That... Nymphomaniac Cashmere DeLoach!" She was full on screaming at him. "I want that witch out of my house as soon as possible and then I want her out of my life! They have no right to make me feel like I did something awful on purpose, when never in my wildest nightmares have I fashioned myself the idea of stealing some woman's husband. I never intended to fall in love with anyone, let alone you!" She shoved a finger into his chest, making him take a step back, "Panem's most desirable man, with your perfect smile, and that ridiculously beautiful backside of yours, not to mention your strong... Rest of your... Body." She was fuming as she motion to his body with her open hand, as if to illustrate her description of him, he could barely contain his laughter. "And those blue eyes that bewitched me even the very first time I saw them peering back me... I swear I hate the way you make feel! All weak and hungry... This is all your fault! _You_ are the one who seduced _me_!" She hit him hard on the chest as if she was angry at him for the injustice she was facing right then, suffering his snaring good looks.

"I make you hungry? What kind of hungry?" He asked with an amused smirk, she was even more annoyed at him, he knew what he was doing and it was not fair.

"Stop that! I am not having sex with you in the middle of the Forest!" She said stomping away from him, he chuckled and lightly jogged after her when she was sufficiently far from him.

"So... _That_ kind of hunger!" He said flashing her that unfairly perfect smile she had just referred to. He looped his arm around her waist and pulled her up an inch from the ground, effectively stoping her from stomping away, as he set her down and turned her to faced him, he said, smirk still on "Well, it grieves me to knock you off of your extremely high horse, my Lady, but you too are a seductress! May I remind you of what happened just less then an hour ago in my study? You had your way with me, and I was helpless to oppose!" She fixed him with an icy stare, his eyes were smiling more than his lips. "In all honesty... There was no way for me stay away from you Katniss... that enchanting scowl of yours had me intrigued. I wanted to find the ways to smooth it away from your beautiful features with kisses, and I must say... it is a damned perfect sight to see you free of it when you are moaning my name, thrashing under me..."

"I told you to stop it! It is not funny! nor it is nice to point those things out to me right now!" She said full on blushing, and picked up a brisker pace. He laughed silently shaking his head ruefully, and then followed her once more.

"My lady, I just think it is unfair that you blame me for something either of us is powerless to resist! We did fall in love with each other, and by some miracle, you allow me to be by your side! I should be the one cringing at the whispers and stares and stupid comments about our age difference, about how it is a waste that a beautiful young thing like you shares a bed with an old and ugly fart like me!" He smiled sweetly at her and she felt her heart fluttered.

"Ugh... You are such and idiot! And you are not old, much less ugly! You are very attractive and virile..." She said her blush deepening. "Why do you think I cannot keep my legs shut together when near you? One look at you and they spread apart of their accord. You can do anything with me, and I will go along with it happily as long as you are moving inside of me..." She shook her head. "It is disgusting how much I want you. It is terrifying how much I need you." He took deliberate slow steps towards her as she talked, she was so flustered and bothered, it was driving him insane with want. He finally reached her and curled a hand around her nape, bringing her head, followed by her whole body to him possessively.

"I think is time we returned to the house, Katniss... My cock is so hard for you right now, it is unbearably painful." He claimed her mouth and she moaned.

"W-why must we return to the house? We do not want your... hardness to go to waste by taking the hike back to our chamber..." She grasped him through his clothing, causing him to buck into her hand, as she gasped while he nipped her jaw.

"Well... You said you were not having sex in the forest... I am merely respecting your parameters...my love" He said licking her neck, her fingers that had been tangled in his hair dropped to his belt buckle and without even looking they had him freed from his restrictions in no time. He backed them up into a tree and she rasped into his ear as one of her legs hitched around his hip,

"Did you not hear my complaints? I was saying that my legs cannot keep themselves together when you are around. They think that your God given place is in between them, because you fit there perfectly." He was already moving in and out of her when she said her last word, followed by a content sigh.

"I apologize then... But... My cock knows this as well and it cannot stay down in such close proximity to it's home, which is deep. within. you. my beloved," his words punctuated by his thrusts for emphasis, his mouth latched to her throat, "We do belong like this." and they spoke no more until they were both satiated and catching their breaths.

 

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"Besides, hurling insults your way... Did... Um... Lady Clove say anything about the circumstances that brought them both here?" Peeta asked carefully as they approached the kitchen doors. His arm draped lazily around her hips.

"No. Just what I told you. Why? Did she say anything to you about how they ended up like that? And what were they running from?" She was curious.

"Mmm... She had some nasty things to say to me as well, but when she was done... She told me about the murder of Sir Gloss right in front of them, with his own dagger and by the hand of Lord Crane." He was quiet for a moment, stopping in the middle of the freshly dug dirt that was getting prepared to be planted with vegetables and greens to be used in the kitchens. His eyes were fixed on the ground, but he did not quite make out rocks from dirt as he stared without seeing. "Lady Glimmer lost her child, Cato was somehow responsible. She then... took her own life." He said and then raised his eyes to find hers wide and shocked.

"She is... dead then?" She whispered behind a hand that had flown up to cover her mouth. "She... She took her own life? That is horrible... She said to me that her child was the only person she loved in the world... But... Still... Suicide, it is so drastic... Oh God! And then her Father killed Gloss? Why? What good would that accomplish? Gloss... The only time I met him, he gave me the chills for being such a creep, but... He was my kin! The only living male descendant from the House of Donner... how awful!" She exclaimed between gasps.

"I know, my darling. It is quite senseless. Lord Crane is blinded by grief, and blames Cashmere for what ill befell poor Glimmer. I feel quite saddened as well, she really had no chance at happiness, and it was the most unfair end to a pair of innocent lives." He said wrapping Katniss into a tight hug, kissing her temple. They were interrupted by Rue.

"My Lady..." She panted as she stopped running in front of them, as if just noticing Peeta standing there, she blushed, and curtsied to him, "Your Grace!" She squeaked. "My Lady, the Lady Trinket is beside herself trying to find you. She keeps getting agitated about lunch and the schedule... No one knew where you had gone to... I guess no one thought about asking His Grace...?" She trailed off and blushed furiously again. He wondered if she had been one of the unfortunate ones to hear them in his study earlier, it was a very good possibility by the way she could not quite look them in the eyes.

"Oh for heaven’s sakes! I will go find her, then! My Lord, I suggest you be ready for lunch in ten minutes or we will have to call Mother again, this time so she can keep Lady Trinket from collapsing under the stress of a ruined schedule!" She huffed, then kissed him on the cheek, and walked away from him and into the house, leaving him laughing heartily in the middle of the garden.

He followed into the kitchen a few minutes later. It was already hot and bustling in there. Katniss was nowhere to be found in the flurry of maids and cooks.

"Mrs. Sae, where did Katniss go?" He asked above the hubbub.

"My Lord! Lady Trinket sent her to change her outfit, as it was covered in stable grime and God knew what else!... Her words... Not mine!" They both chuckled, and then he left in the direction of his study. He had to get her underclothes she had discarded when she came in earlier for their encounter. He smiled to himself, as he remember taking her against that tree, he knew she had been leaking his seed down her legs the whole way from the woods to the house, she had complained about it, and tried to wipe away some of it with her petticoats... Effie was right to send her to change her clothing, they were filthy indeed.

 

===========================

 

When she entered her chamber, was surprised to find Cashmere ruffling through her wardrobe. She did her best to school her face into a blank mask.

"Your Grace... Can I offer you my help in search of anything?" She asked trying to keep her voice leveled and unaffected. Cashmere jumped a good ten inches off the hardwood floor, but when she turned to face her, she was smiling brightly.

"Oh, Katniss dear! I was just... helping myself to some of your clothing... As you can imagine, I left my house in such a rush, I did not even packed a decent pair of gowns!" She let an airy laugh fall from her mouth.

"Um... Well... I know for a fact you have a nice number of gowns stored in your wardrobe in your own chamber. But, by all means... Help yourself to my things!" She said not being able to stop herself.

"Oh, but my pet! Everything in this place should be considered lawfully mine!" Her smirk was malicious, "Lady Clove just shared, how she found out that you tricked my husband into giving you his most prized possession... I just thought that taking something from you would... Even us out, you... Ungrateful little opportunistic bimbo!" Her words had started out sweet and sticky as honey, but she spat the last few with hatred. They stared daggers at each other.

"What my Lord has decided to do, was in no way influenced by me, my Lady!" Katniss said with poorly concealed anger.

"Oh, do not be so naive! You can command him to do anything you want by batting your eyelashes, and he would do it without blinking! How you managed that, is what I am curious about!" Cashmere spat.

Katniss felt a cold shiver go down her spine as she saw the dress hanging from Cashmere's hands; it was the red gown Mr. Cinna had made for her to wear at the Yule Festival. What made her panic and filled her with blinding fear, was that she saw a glint of gold, peaking from inside the neckline of the dress. Her Mockingjay pin that Peeta had specifically instructed her to keep hidden until they were irrevocably married, before God and Man. It was now practically in the hands of the odious woman that could cause them the most harm, and she had to get it away from her... Now!

"I-I-I... I do not know what to say about that, Mistress..." Ignoring the snarky and hateful remarks, she tried for humility and submission; she hoped it would mollify Cashmere enough to distracted her away from her gown. "I in no way have purposely meant to cause you any distress... If anything, I strive to be pleasing and accommodating... My Lord just likes the way I always comply with his needs and desires, which is my job. And I truly hope you know this to be true, my Lady..." She stepped closer, head bowed but eyes surreptitiously on her prize "about the house... I was unaware of the gift until our return to Merch, where I had to sign some documents. The house is only partially under my name, I am sharing it with Mr. Homes and we are to split it and take official ownership of it in the event that the worst befalls the Master, who is still in possession of the property." This was not a lie, but was not entirely true either, Winter Home was her's completely. But Thom was to take Peeta's place as Head of the family, if anything happened, seeing as he was her soon to be brother-in-law she had no objection to the clause, when she signed. She swallowed thickly, as Cashmere was not loosening her hold on the garment. "So, you see... It is not completely mine. And I really pray, my Master lives a very long, healthy life!" She finished and tried to look as docile as she could, while inching closer to the Duchess.

"By the way, my Lady, I do have gowns I have not worn yet, maybe I can persuade you to take a look at them... there is a dark pink one, with cream lace, that I think would look lovely on you! And the material is so much more agreeable with the spring-like weather we have been having around here..." She grabbed the dress, and tried to subtly pull it away from the other woman's hands.

She felt Cashmere loosen her grip on the heavy red bundle, she almost felt relieved when the woman lost in thought, said,

"Red is such a harsh color for my complexion... I have been told I am more of a winter palette... Icy pinks, baby blues, whites..." Her eyes had taken a faraway quality, her gaze was cloudy.

Katniss tried to pull the dress away completely, but she felt the tug tightening away. She looked up, and saw Cashmere's eyes narrowed into suspicious slits.

"I will take this one, thank you very much!" She said lowly.

"Well... Are you sure you are not interested in seeing the ones I have been talking about, my Lady? This one is... as you said, harsh For your skin tone. It will clash with your delicate features. Plus... Um... Everyone in Merch has seen me in this one, and... the material is so heavy, meant for the dead of winter..." She tried to reason, struggling to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"But, this is the one I was looking for! The famous ' _Red gown of Lady Winter Home'_!" She said in a mocking tone. "I have heard about this little number, so much! I KNOW everyone in Merch or from high society that had attended that festival, saw you in this gown... many women went back home to the Capitol and tried to copy the style! Your clothier is one of the most famous dress makers in Panem now... Every woman in Panem wants ' _The Lady Winter Home'_ dress... Well... I am supposed to be THE Lady Winter Home! Not you! You are but a lowly, half-starved child, that my husband fucks for fun for lack of a real woman to warm his bed!" She was almost shouting, her green eyes going crazy with rage, all the while, Katniss kept pulling on the dress with all her might. She could care less if Cashmere wanted her whole wardrobe, she could have it, all she was concerned about was retrieving her pin. The Duchess could have the red dress and wear it the rest of her life, she cared not... But, as desperation wade into her psyche, she bitterly berated herself. Why did she had to be so stupid and pin it on her clothes just to silently rebel against Peeta's warning and marriage proposal? Why did she not unpin it afterwards? Why did she forget about it until now? How could she have been so careless and stupid with the only heirloom passed down to her from her mother's past? She felt downright incompetent.

"My lady... Believe me... I would love to give you the gown, if it would appease you in any way... But... I need it for just a moment... I will give it back, I swear on my Father's grave... If you just... Let me take a look at it..." She tried to say while pulling and pushing and tugging, both women were at it with all they had, until a little ripping noise caught their attention. The dress had a gap in the fabric, neither knew where exactly; but after a second where they caught each other's determination, they renewed their struggle. Another rip. And another. And another, finally Cashmere let go of it, and Katniss had been pulling so strongly during their grapple, she fell backwards, luckily a small settee had been closed by, and she did not completely fall on the floor. Sadly, in the scuffle, the pin had become unfastened and flew high into the air making an arch over the women's heads, landing with a clunk a foot away from Katniss.

A deafening silence filled the room for a moment; two pairs of eyes followed the solid gold piece of jewelry as it made its trajectory from one point to the other. Katniss could only hope, against hope, the token was too small and too far away from Cashmere to register what it was. She leaped and launched at it, scooping it up in one hand, but she felt the other woman collide with her full force, she was trying to pry open her fisted hand.

"That is mine!" Cashmere screamed crazily. "How did you get it? You stole it from me! Maybe I left it on my chamber last time I was here... You thief! I will have you in chains for this!" She kept saying between gritted teeth, Katniss finally bit her knuckles and she let go with a yelp. Katniss ran as fast she could, but Cashmere recuperated quickly, and lunged forward, capturing the end of her braid, pulling her backwards. The scuffled begun anew.

"Let go of me..." panted Katniss, trying to stamp her heel on Cashmere's toes in vain. "I have never even set foot into your chamber until this morning!"

"No! I am done loosing shit! First my Glimmer, then my brother who was the only family I had left. Then my rightful claim to this house... You will not steal my husband and his properties from me and also my pin! It belongs to me! The last Mockingjay!" Cashmere yelped, when the younger woman managed to pushed her away from her finally with a well placed elbow to her ribs.

"I did not steal anything from you... This belongs to my family! It belonged to my grandmother Cressida Donner-Jonhson, and then my mother after her, and now it is mine! You are NOT the last Mockingjay, you conceited cow!"

Katniss gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands, one still clutching the pin tightly in it, her eyes widened in horror at what had just escaped her mouth. Cashmere's eyes and mouth were also wide open in shock at the information. Neither spoke, neither moved, they just stared at each other while the meaning of the words sank in. Then Clove came in to the chamber agitatedly.

"My lady, what are you doing? I knocked on that door as loud as I could, the Duke is almost upon you..." She had been yammering a mile a second not noticing Katniss had come into the chamber through a side door, nor the way both women were locked into a frozen state staring into each other's eyes with shock written all over their faces. Clove's intrusion worked to shake them out of their stupor.

Katniss saw with renewed horror, a malicious smile slowly unravel on her cousin's lips. Cashmere's eyes shone with glee once more. And she practically purred as she spoke to her friend.

"No matter, my dear Lady Clove... I got everything I needed in this visit... all courtesy of my long lost cousin, Miss Everdeen!" She had not removed her beady sparkling eyes from Katniss horror stricken face, her hands had gone limp on either side of her, the Mockingjay pin still nestled safely in her semi fisted hand. She felt like she should be protesting, denying it, screaming she was a criminal and stole the heirloom... Something... But her mouth was not responding, her brain had turned to mush, and her tongue was stuck immobile.

"What nonsense is that? Actually, just, let us get a move on, My lady, we have to get out of here..." Looking around at the strewn floor, the overturned settee, the shredded red dress, she panicked. "Come now, it would be worse trying to explain to the Duke what you have been doing in his chamber with his Concubine, when he had strictly prohibited any contact between you two..."

"Clove!" Cashmere interrupted Clove with a merry laugh, "Clove, Miss Everdeen here is the daughter of my mother's first cousin!" Her laugh intensified, and Clove only looked at her with worry in her eyes. ' _Maybe the grief had finally snapped her mind into insanity_ ' she thought with alarm. "Wait until Cato and the King hear about this! Cato will finally have a Mockingjay of his own as he has always wanted! And since she is my kin, I can actually marry her off without obstacle!" she cackled loudly. Katniss felt the walls closing in on her, she started to get woozy, she could now see her poor Little Duck being forced to share a bed with that pig they call Prince. Then Cashmere said something else, right as Peeta's steps sounded on the landing leading to their chamber's door. "The best of this is that, with Glimmer now dead, the incessant nuisance that was Lord Marvel is out of the way! And with the kinship closeness, Cato can take you as wife my dear Katniss. It will not matter that Peter has fucked you into the ground every day and night for months... You cannot be with him anymore! But, you can marry his direct kin, which is the Prince! and maybe... Maybe if Peter feigns ignorance to our blood ties, the King's punishment for him will be a swift death instead of a long torturous one he deserves as the traitorous liar he truly is!" She cackled again like the despicable, hateful witch she was. Katniss stopped breathing at her words, all she could think was herself, hailed as Princess of Panem, sitting next to the King and Prince, watching the broken body of her beautiful Peeta swaying in the breeze, hanging from a noose reserved for traitors of the crown.

Everything stopped for a moment; she was slowly stalking down a long dark corridor looking for something she could quite not grasp... In the depths of her muddled mind, the sweet clear voice of her father materialized. And she tried to follow it...

 **"** _ **Are you, are you,**_  
_**Coming to the tree?..."**_

Suddenly there was only quiet.

Peeta opened the door, and saw as in slow motion, Katniss' body oscillate awkwardly to one side, and finally dropped to the floor, unconscious... A small gold circle rolled all the way from her opened hand to where he stood with his heart racing wildly, to collide with the toe of his boot.

 

===========================

 

Mrs. Everdeen arrived to a madhouse. Prim teetered behind her mother dazedly, her face strained and pale. Passing each familiar face of every employee of Winter Home, she could see a rainbow of emotions, some were somber, others scared, others curious, and others nervous, but most of them were just loitering about the grounds waiting to hear any news about their mistress. She had heard that Katniss had passed out, the only people with her were Cashmere and her friend Lady Clove. That Peeta had lost it and his screams were loud enough to alert the whole household there was a problem within seconds. That Effie had to escort the duchess and her terrified friend to their chamber in order to keep Peeta from crossing some kind of boundary, but what that meant, she was not sure.

What worried her most was, that by what Peeta had frantically conveyed to her mother as soon as they arrived that this was not an isolated case for her sister; she had fainted at the Capitol, and lost equilibrium once without passing out. Katniss had also been complaining of headaches, and had vomited in more than one occasion.

Prim had read about brain damage... Tumors, and head injuries. She knew nothing of how to treat them, but she swore she would become a fucking brain surgeon if she needed to in order to cure her sister! She was extremely angry at her Mother's cool and practical demeanor, she did not seem worried, nor bothered... Scratch that, she did look bothered, but not like she should be given the circumstances in which your child might be dying. No, her mother looked more annoyed, like she always did when she saw Thom near her, bordering on disappointment even. She hated her mother for that, for being able to stay professional when she should be wailing like the desperate mother trying to save her daughter, she should be.

"Primrose, whatever the results we reach at the end of your sister's exam... Stay calm, and let **me** handle everything. Do not... Incommode your sister. Remember, this will probably be a shock for everyone, mostly her, and we will need to support her, no matter our emotions and feelings... Also, depending on whether my suspicions are right, you are not to blame, fight or rage at the Duke. Katniss will not appreciate it if either of us do. We are here to support her; do we have an accord, Primrose?" She was so annoyed at her mother's puzzling words, she sounded like everything was just a big nuisance instead of a potentially life threatening condition, and why in hell would she blame Peeta for that? He would be as devastated as she once the results were announced. She nodded dutifully nonetheless, her mother was more strict as a Healer than as a Mother, but she was still mad at her for her nonchalance.

They entered the chamber, to find Katniss in nightclothes, sitting on the edge of her bed with sagging shoulders. This was already a strange sight, it was just after lunch and Katniss hated to be in bed when there was work to be done.

Prim thought that Katniss was twirling her thumbs, but as they approached, she noticed a small length of rope bunched up in her fists, and she kept making jerky motions as she tied tiny knot after tiny knot. She looked completely demented, and that too, scared Prim to no end.

"Why is she acting like she is mentally unstable?" She hissed just low enough for her mother to hear. Mrs. Everdeen only spared her youngest daughter a warning glare, but then talked to her eldest in a soothing calm voice Prim could not properly place, it was not her professional Healer tone, it was not her regular 'Mother' one either, it was tender and cautious, but Katniss reacted to it as if she was a little girl showing her mommy a booboo.

"Katniss, we came as soon as we were summoned. The Duke is very concerned about you, and so are a lot of people." She paused to see Katniss lift her grey watery eyes to find hers, she saw her lower lip quiver for a moment, and then she nodded lowering her sight back to her hands and that therapy rope. Her mother came to sit next to her and continued talking. "The Duke says this has happened before, that you had lost consciousness at least once more in the last couple of weeks. That there has been also retching and mood swings..." Katniss nodded wordlessly tying another knot. Mrs. Everdeen tentatively, put a hand over the one closest to her, effectively stopping the incessant knotting, she then held her daughter's slender hand in hers, and spoke softly.

"When I was your age, I was terrified of the world, of my future... I had no family, and no friends. I barely had any coin in my pockets to sustain myself with. Life was so uncertain for me back then." She paused and with her free hand pushed a wayward lock of her daughter's hair, behind her ear. "If it had not been for the generosity of the Apothecary, Mr. Leeg, and his twin daughters, I am not sure I would be here today, with my girls, in this beautiful place... **_Because, sometimes things happen to people and they're not equipped to deal with them."_** She squeezed Katniss' hand, and she looked up at her mother once more, this time her gaze did not waver away, her mind forming a bitter thought: _**'Like me, for instance. Right now'.**_

Mrs. Everdeen continued. "Katniss, sweetie, life can throw obstacles our way that are hard and painful to get over, but it is important to always pull through, anything is possible with the right support system. It is possible to overcome most obstacles we find in front of ourselves... And you have us baby... Me and your sister, we are here for you, unconditionally. I know I have apologize to you before, but I am sorry I left you both alone for so long. I am here now for the both of you no matter what... Do you understand that, Katniss?" She said firmly but still soothingly. Katniss nodded.

"All right." She patted her hand softly and paused and pushed up from the bed. Both girls took the familiar sign, that the Mommy pep talk time was over, and the time to get back to work was upon them. "You said that the Duchess had demanded a full physical exam to be then sent to her, and you had expertly avoided getting done all this time, until now, right?" She asked very well knowing the answer. "You fainted while in her dwelling in the Capitol?"

"No... Just, vomited." She said in a tiny voice. "I fainted at the Palace... In front of the King and Prince..." She said embarrassed. Prim snorted a small laugh, but quickly regained her composure, apologizing to her sister, she assured there was nothing funny about any of this, but Katniss merely shrugged with downcast eyes. Prim hated this defeated version of her usually fierce sister.

"Mmm... I see. Any other symptoms? As in: aversion to certain foods or smells, or maybe the opposite... cravings?" She waited for her answer, and Katniss averted her eyes in shame. She nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. Mrs. Everdeen asked, "Dizziness? Fatigue? Any pains?"

"Fatigue mostly." She answered quietly, and looked at her mother with pleading eyes.

"Alright darling, I will check your blood pressure now... Prim, please hand me the sphygometer and the stethoscope." Prim was a little taken aback by what she heard her mother say, but she was a Healer in training for God's sakes, she knew that specific line of questioning better than anything else, and that was not the type of information you would ask a woman with brain damage... She retrieved the instruments from their medical bag, and brought them to her mother. Prim realized the older woman had caught her eying Katniss in an accusatory manner, and gave her a warning look of her own; she quickly pursed her lips and shook her head standing a few steps back.

After a minute or so, Katniss’ blood pressure had been deemed normal, then with the use of the stethoscope so was her heart rate, lungs, stomach, and then her mother made her lay down still while she listened to her lower belly, where her womb was located. After a moment, Mrs. Everdeen stood up, and went to her medical bag herself, to retrieve a pair of rubber gloves.

"Primrose, please pull the window drapes open for me, I will need some more light." She said as she slipped the gloves on, then she directed at her eldest daughter. "Katniss I will need you to remove your underthings for me and lay on your back with your bottom as close to the edge of the bed as you can..."

"What?" Yelp Katniss with eyes wide as saucers. "W-why... Why would you... What for?" She stuttered in a panic. Trying to soothed her sister, Prim came to rub her arm.

"Is alright, Katniss... Mother is just trying to be thorough... It is nothing to be scared of or worried about" Prim said with a small smile, Katniss’ eyes were still full of panic.

"It is called a Pelvic Exam, and is part of a wellbeing examination all women should get done at least once a year. It will be a little intrusive as I will have to feel around your internal organs, and look in there, but it will be quick and we can stop and give you some time to adjust when needed" her Mother explained in the most business-like manner she could mustered. She figured if she sounded more like a physician, all of them would probably be able to compartmentalize the situation, and let her perform the darn exam as awkward and uncomfortable as it already was. There was no other way, and she had to get it done if just to dispel the suspicion. She spoke again a bit softer "Now, Prim and I can step outside for a moment to give you some privacy, and I can come back on my own if you so prefer it while I proceed with the examination..."

"Or, I can just come in as your sister, not your healer and hold your hand while it happens?" Prim offered sweetly, running a gentle hand through her sisters loosed ponytail. Her hair was damp she noted, she must have taken a bath before they arrived, that was probably the reason why she was already in a sleeping gown. Katniss looked up at her little sister and clutched her hand tightly.

"I... I will do it if you stay Little Duck." She whispered. Then Katniss scooted down the bed, to the very edge. Mrs. Everdeen pulled a little stool and sat right in front of her. She slowly pulled her underwear off and folded it neatly next to her, stalling as much as she could.

"Lay back Katniss... And place your feet on the edge of the bed for me..." instructed her mother, once she was finished with her clothing. "Let your legs fall to the sides, as much as you can, and angle yourself more towards the light so I can see properly what I am trying to observe." She was once again talking more like a healer than their mother, which was best for all three off them. Prim moved to hold her sister's hand while Katniss screwed her eyes shut. "Relax Katniss... Just a little pressure, if it hurts please let me know." Mrs. Everdeen said, and Katniss nodded vigorously as the exam begun. It was not painful as it was awkward and uncomfortable; the pressure was more than just a little sensation too.

Then her mother asked, "Do you remember when your last menstrual cycle was, dear?"

"No..." She whimpered softly, squeezing Prim's hand tightly, "I am so sorry... I... I am sorry, mommy, Prim." She burst out crying. Mrs. Everdeen, pulled away from her with a heavy sigh, she pulled off the gloves with a satisfactory splat sound, while Prim had crawled on the bed next to Katniss and was currently curling around her. Katniss hid her face into the crook of her sister's neck and cried silently for a bit.

Drawing another long breath, Mrs. Everdeen stood up. "My part is done, sweetie." She said pulling both girls up by their hands, as soon as they were both sitting up, she took Katniss' face in both her hands. "Come now. You are such a brave young woman, do not cry... You are fine, you will be fine. We will be here for you the whole time." She kissed the top of her head. And straightened up. "I will go downstairs to the Duke. Primrose will finish the observations. Take her temperature, check for irregular pigmentation under her eye lids, we do not want her to become anemic, check her skin for dermatological issues as well. And give her a drink of water... I will send some food up, she needs to eat more. We will also have to bring in a balance to keep a weight journal."

"Yes, Ma'am." said Prim, changing her demeanor as quickly as her mother when tending to a patient. They all guessed it made this painful moment, that should have been joyous and full of excitement, bearable. When their Mother had gone, Prim gave Katniss a reassuring smile, and wiped away her tears gently. "Now, give us a smile, would you? It is my first solo examination without supervision, you know... And I need to impress my tutor!" She whispered conspiratorially while rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. This finally made Katniss crack a genuine smile at last. She opened her mouth wide and allowed _Healer Primrose_ to put a thermometer under her tongue.

 

===========================

 

Mrs. Everdeen entered the library, where Peeta, Cashmere and Clove, awaited for her diagnosis. Effie had come and gone to announced that lunch was served, but the food remained cold and ignored three rooms down the hall. Peeta had been pacing in a straight line back and forth in front of the little wet bar, not wanting to be too far away from his liquid courage; but as soon as he saw the older Everdeen enter the room, with an expression of sadness and worry, he slammed his drink down and abruptly stopped in his tracks. He could not decide if rushing to her was a good or bad idea, it did not matter either way, his feet were rooted to the floor. The Everdeen matron pinned him with her very blue stare, her eyes were accusatory and hard. Before he could even get his brain to string the right words he needed to formulate his question, Cashmere piped up, almost gleeful.

"She is finally with child, is she not?" She clapped her hands and bounced in place up and down, Mrs. Everdeen gave a single curt nod, her eyes still boring into Peeta's. The nod hitting him square in the stomach, punching all the oxygen out of his lungs. He could not believe it... This could not be true, maybe he misunderstood the gesture... Because it was impossible that he had done the one thing he had sworn to her not to do... He had gotten Katniss pregnant!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was shorter than my usual lengthy chapters, but I know you were all waiting for it, hope it didn't disappoint. I'm going to apologize before hand, for any future delays... I took some time off from writing 'The Concubine' to try my hand at PiP, which this time had an amazing number of great entries! I will take a little longer with my next chapter, as my son is in Spring Brake, and I'll be busier for a while... So... I'll try not to take too long for my next update, but I won't promise anything. Sorry for leaving you all hanging, but what can I say? 
> 
> Thoughts in Italics, quotes from Catching Fire and lyrics for the Hanging Tree in Italics/Bold.
> 
> A pelvic exam can be accurate to diagnose a pregnancy if performed after the sixth week of pregnancy... Katniss is about 7-8 weeks pregnant as of now. 
> 
> A Sphygometer and a Stethoscope, are medical instruments, the first is better known as a Blood Pressure meter, the one with the cuff that they wrap around our arms and blow up, the stethoscope everyone is more familiar with... Who hasn't suffer under the chilly metal of the thing during annual check ups, when the Dr/nurse try to hear our hearts and lungs?
> 
>  
> 
> If you didn't catch my PiP fic "In Sheep's Clothing" don't fret! I'll try to post it here soon, after the make-up round, sadly I missed the dead line for the last prompt that gave closure to my story.


	22. Motives and Fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Hunger Games, but I love writing about them :)
> 
> As always, a huge Thank You! To my beta abk1973, who I've swamped with about three different multi-chapter stories to read, correct and assure me they don't suck! You are amazing! 
> 
> And we finally see the beginnings of Duchess Cashmere's master plan! Go forth and enjoy! And please comment at the end! Cheers!

' _She is with child!'_

Peeta's legs gave out with the knowledge, the unexpected news making him dizzy.

It was lucky the wet bar was behind him and his back hit the half wall that made the front of it; he slid down against it, sinking all the way to the floor. His mouth had fallen open and his eyes were stinging with unshed tears, he could not breathe and his chest tightened painfully, he started to hyperventilate dangerously.

Mrs. Everdeen ran to him, while calling out to get Thresh to come into the room. She started to unfasten his ascot and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, when Thresh made his appearance, he was visibly unnerved by the sight of his master, but he kept as calm as possible and asked the nurse how could he assist her.

"He's having a panic attack... He needs to regulate his breathing, lift his arms away from his chest to open his ribcage and air ways... Call for someone to bring a paper bag or something for him to breathe into, also a glass of water, and we need to move him to the couch if we can" she said in a rush.

"Yes, Ma'am!" He ran to the door of the library and from the threshold, he started barking out orders. the whole house had been on high alert since Katniss had lost consciousness and all snapped into fulfilling each order Thresh dispensed. Soon paper bags were scattered on the low coffee table by the couch Thresh, and a newly materialized Thom, had hoisted Peeta onto. There was a tray with a pitcher of water, a few tall glasses and a sugar container. Clove was mixing a couple spoonful of sugar into a glass full of water while waiting for Peeta to be well enough to drink it.

Cashmere was just anxiously keeping out of everybody's way while they worked to stabilized the shocked Duke. She did not expect his reaction at all, she thought he would be happy and excited, about the prospect of parenthood, she guessed, she was wrong.

Soon, Peeta had regained some semblance of control over himself. He was openly sobbing, his elbows propped on his knees, and the heels of his hands digging in his blue stinging eyes. It took him a minute to be able to emit sounds through his mouth, other than whimpers.

"I-I... I do not understand... I swear, she made a point of taking those blasted pills, to keep from conceiving... I-I wore that stupid lamb skin Cashmere sent... We... We were very careful, like you told her... Like she had always insisted..." He spoke looking at Mrs. Everdeen imploringly. The woman's face softened at the sight of utter despair in the man that usually was so collected and sure of himself. "This is going to kill her! She is going to be so scared... And angry..." He jumped on his seat, an expression of absolute terror filling his features, "What if she leaves me?" He choked out, "What if she takes my baby away... I-I-I cannot lose them... Not now, not ever... What am I going to tell her? How am I going to convince her to stay with me?" He was becoming increasingly agitated and hard to understand.

Mrs. Everdeen shoved the glass of water into his hands and ordered him to drink. He obeyed like a small child.

"We will tackle one issue at a time, my Lord. The first issue being that you need to calm down now, my daughter needs you to be in control of yourself and your emotions. Then you and Her Grace will have to discuss the legality of the whole situation and come up with a plan..." She looked at him for a moment, and her eyes softened as did her tone, which had taken on a medical-care-provider quality to it. "You will both be fine. A child is a blessing... And when they are meant to be, they will come no matter how many precautions you take. Katniss is fine, just dehydrated. The child is also fine as far as I can tell." She put a hand to his face and wiped his dampened cheek. "She will not leave you, Sir; but she will be scared for her and her child, she will fight to keep it, so please, do what you can, to convince the Duchess to look the other way..." She whispered hoping only he had heard her, in vain.

"Look the other way?" came Cashmere's loud protest. "I have been waiting for this to happen since I sent her here!" She almost yelled in frustration. "You both took an awful long time to conceive!"

Peeta looked at her confusedly, and then suspicion started festering underneath his confusion. "What do you mean Cashmere?" He narrowed his eyes at her in mistrust, his voice held a warning of danger "How would you even expect us to conceive if you, _yourself_ had provided her with the..." He stopped short, his eyes widened, "Cashmere? What did you do?" He growled lowly, anger growing in his voice by the second.

She took a few paces backwards and Clove sensing the danger started to make her way to the other end of the room where her friend was. Cashmere, gave a nervous smile. "I cannot conceive Peter, you know that!" Peeta slowly swept Mrs. Everdeen to the side with one arm, and stood up.

"That does not explain your involvement... TALK!"

She had hurried to put as much furniture between them as she could. While he advanced in on her menacingly, "I-I... I hoped she would get pregnant, I figured I would give her a hand..."

"The pills, Cashmere, the pills? What were in the pills?" He yelled impatiently, Mrs. Everdeen was frozen in place. "Duds? Placebos?... TALK GODDAMN IT! TALK."

"Vitamins! Folic acid, Fish oils... All the good things that would help a woman have a healthy gestation!" She was terrified, but kept on talking lightly with a soft smile plastered on her lips, as if she was just recounting a pleasant story. "The Lamb skin... Well, you could have water plants with it if you had been inclined to fill it up with water..." He lunged forward jumping over tables, chairs, and couches, so fast no one was able to stop him, until his hands were tightly wrapped around her throat choking her with bare gritted teeth.

Pandemonium broke out; there were screams and cries of 'help' and yelps, coming from everyone in the room. Effie finally made it to the library, at the same time as Prim and a whole host of farm hands. The Duke had finally snapped into killing his wife; Thresh and Thom managed with great effort to pry him away from the gasping Duchess, who collapsed in Clove's arms that had been already wrapped around her friends spastic body, trying to pull her away from her attacker with all her might. Effie found her place right next to the Duchess as well, making sure she was breathing.

"What the hell is going on here?" Prim screamed above the rest of the noise, and everybody stopped at once. Peeta yelled angrily in answer,

"That bitch, gave us faulty contraception! She planned this whole ordeal from the very beginning!" The other two men had to tightened their hold, restraining him, as he kept straining to get back to squeeze the life out of his wife. "What for, I haven't the faintest... You... Poor excuse for a human being... You have condemned my child to a life of hardship and shame!" He screamed at her with all the air in his lungs, tears falling from his eyes freely, but his hands still stretched, trying to reach Cashmere to inflict harm on her. "I hate you! I hate you with burning passion you she-devil! You ruined my life, but I will not allow you to ruin my child's life, I will kill you before you even try to harm my child!" he spat venomously in her direction.

"I hate you too, but I want that child!" Her voice came scratchy and raw. "I know you will not believe me... Hagar's Law... Call on Quattro, you brute, he will explain..." She coughed and heaved for air clutching her neck and chest protectively; her eyes were red with the many blood vessels he had popped in his rage.

"Quattro? What the hell are you talking about? What does Finnick have to do with any of this?" He was still struggling to get out of his hold.

"He is a lawyer, you idiot!" She tried to scream just making her throat burn. "He would make it where you can keep your child, you moron" she tried to stand, but was far too weak to do so on her own.

"Child?" Effie cried out in surprise, apparently the question had been lodged in her throat for a while "What child?" She gasped.

"Katniss's child!" Prim scream in her own rage, she turn to the still restrained Duke and slapped him hard across the face, eliciting cries and gasps from stunned onlookers. "How could you? You son of a bitch!" She screamed at the top of her lungs,

"PRIMROSE!" Mrs. Everdeen yelped, running to pull her daughter away from the man.

Prim was a fury, shouting expletives at Peeta while her mother dragged her away kicking and screaming. "I trusted you... You promised me! You liar! I hate you; I hate your guts... I..." Her voice was muffled by Thom's broad chest. He crushed her into his body, lifted her up and walked to the farthest corner of the room where he kept her firmly flushed against him.

"Everybody, Shut Up!" Mrs. Everdeen finally yelled to all of them. She was breathing hard, tears cascading freely down her face. "Primrose, you stay quiet and keep your temper under control unless you want me to stick you with a syringe full of morphling." She said looking straight at her daughter.

Then she turned to Peeta, "And you **did** promise you would stay away from her! I understand it was an unrealistic expectation, especially since Katniss had already stubbornly made her choice... I know you actually tried to keep your relationship chaste, but when my daughter, herself, was the one persuading you... I knew none of your good intentions were ever going to prevail." Her voice softened a little, "I am not going to lie, I do feel a little sad and disappointed in the both of you, this was never how I envisioned my daughter's family life to be, but as I said, babies are always a welcome blessing..." Peeta had lost all his fight when Prim lashed out at him, and was just limply leaning on his butler while crying silently.

"Now if we just let her Grace explain herself, we might understand why she did such a manipulative, conniving thing. As disgusting as her behavior is, she does deserve the chance to explain her motives." She was looking at the blond woman on the floor with so much disdain, it was a miracle she had not taken Peeta's place wringing her little neck.

Cashmere, finally stood up, with great effort and looked at all the awaiting, hostile faces around the room, "Very well..." She squeaked "I cannot conceive, I rendered myself barren many years ago." This was a shock for most of the people present, except for Peeta and Clove. She continued, "When I decided to get a Concubine for His Grace, I originally did it to provide him with companionship... A distraction if you will." She paused to cough painfully, as well as survey her audience, Peeta and the younger Everdeen had twin murderous expressions in their features,

"Now, when I started looking into the different legal arrangements, I stumbled upon a very obscure and seldom used amendment to the laws that regulate Concubinage: Hagar's Law, where a wife would present her husband with a maid of her choosing, so she can conceive children on her behalf... The child would be considered a legitimate heir, with all the rights bestowed upon children born into a lawful marriage. The Concubine will lose all motherly rights at the time of birth, which will be transferred upon the lawful wife, thus making her the legal mother." Another pause to catch her breath.

She was unconsciously rubbing on her sore neck, when a small triumphant smile broke into her lips. "This arrangement actual will work better than I anticipated..." She laughed maniacally, "As it turns out, I just discovered, dear Katniss and I are long lost cousins!" Her smile crazed, Peeta's rage coming back full force, "Why the little milk-sucker, will even be a blood relation of mine!" She cackled and coughed, Thresh was not prepared to contain his master this time and neither was Thom, who naively had allowed Prim to slip under his arms. There was a flash of blond followed by another, and Cashmere was laid on the floor, bloody lip and scratched up face, before her assailants were restrained again.

"Let go of me! I am going to kill her!" screamed a crazed Prim.

"Nope... You will not do such thing my love. I will not allow you to commit a crime! You will not be tried fairly... You will be found guilty as soon as you step foot out of this house with your hands in cuffs. No! I cannot let that happen!" Thom whispered into her hair, while he carried her out of the room and into the kitchen.

Prim started sobbing uncontrollably, "That bitch cannot have my niece or nephew... She cannot! That would absolutely kill Katniss!"

"Peeta will find a way... I swear he will!" He promised softly, while rubbing soothing circles on her back. Although he was not entirely sure how, he knew his friend would fight tooth and nail for his child and the woman he loved. "Primrose... I think it is time I told you about my new responsibilities I have been tasked with". She stopped her struggling and looked up to him, suspicion etched in her tear fill blue eyes. It was time, he decided, she needed to know the real danger they had to worry about. He did not care if Peeta considered it appropriate or not, he was out of commission at the moment either way. It was time to tell Prim, about the Prince and the King, and the nefarious plans they had in store for the sisters.

 

  
=============

 

Back in the library things were extremely tense. Lady Trinket had finally taken control of the household, overriding the Duke's authority. No one dared challenge her. She had threatened to have Mrs. Everdeen administer morphling to Peeta as well if he did not stay put in his corner of the room. He was sitting on a chair, breathing hard and still wearing a murderous expression on his face. His eyes intently following the limp form of Cashmere being hoisted out of the room by one of his employees closely followed by a terrified and wide-eye Clove and three other maids.

"I did not raise a common bully that beats women into a pulp!" Effie spat angrily. "I expect better from the man I brought up! You may not be my blood, but you are my child Peeta and I will not stand for this behavior. No matter what her actions have been, or how bad she has wronged you and Katniss, no woman deserves to be mistreated in such an appalling manner!" His eyes flit back to Effie and widened at her words, he had always known she loved him like a son, but the words had never been explicit before.

Her usual collected stance was rigid and flustered, her hands were flying everywhere as she angrily chided him. She finally slumped down on the chair across from his and took a shuddering breath.

"When your parents entrusted you in my care, I felt like my whole life had been validated! I was raising a nobleman, a future Duke, second in line to the throne of Panem... But, when I actually met you..." She sighed and a tender smile appeared on her lips. "I knew none of your titles mattered... You were the sweetest, most wonderful little boy in existence. I realized I needed to be more, better... if I was going to mold you into a man that would make your family proud. Because I wanted you to excel where every other nobleman had failed, I wanted you to be kind, and just, and loving... So I became more for you. And when your parents were gone and I was left alone, with your little head buried right here..." She placed her hand on the middle of her chest, "Crying for your lost mother and father, I swore, I would make it so you would never, ever, suffered another sad day in your life..." A few tears where covering both their faces. "I was stupid to think I would ever be able to shield you from pain and sadness... I was powerless to protect you from loss and injustice; even now I am powerless to do so... But, I can stop you from taking another person's life in anger with your own hands. Because, by God, I am going to protect you from becoming a monster that you are not! Especially now that you are going to be a father... You need to keep your soul whole in order to give your family a fighting chance... Everyone knows what it means for Katniss to be with child right now, and you need to be on top of everything, if you want to assure a safe life for your baby. She needs you here to support her, not in some godforsaken jail cell in the Capitol."

She placed her hand on his cheek, it had been years since she had done that, and he felt like he was 9 and orphan again, just discovering that there was still Effie, his adoptive mother. He launched onto his knees, and placed his crying head right in the spot she had pointed at earlier. And he apologized for disappointing her and for acting like a blind ogre. He promised he would make her and Mrs. Everdeen proud, he was going to make his child proud, and he was going to step up for his Katniss. He was not going to let anything bad happen to his family.

Prim and Thom had arrived during Peeta's contrite speech. Where he expressed how much he loved Katniss and their baby and the rest of his vows and promises. Prim felt remorse for the way she had reacted. She seemed to always let her emotions take control of her actions and reacted before she had a chance to think things through. She rushed to the kneeling sobbing man and fell on her own knees right at his side. Her thin delicate arms encircled his torso, and her cheek rested on his back, where her tears dampened the fabric of his shirt.

Effie simply brushed both their hairs back, and let them release all their stress. When he was done, he turned and hugged Prim to himself. He had never done that before. It felt completely different than embracing Katniss. It was as if he was embracing his own blood, a sister... Prim, was his sister, and he discovered he loved her like one.

"I am sorry Primy... I know Katniss tried to hint at our change of relationship to you, so you would not get blindsided, and hurt by our actions. I am sorry I betrayed your trust. I have no excuse. But I do love Katniss above anything in the world, I would kill and die for her. I would risk even bankruptcy if it means that she will be safe and happy. And now she is giving me a child, my commitment to her is even greater. I will call on Baron Odair this afternoon to see what can be done about this mess, but I swear to you, Cashmere will not have Katniss' baby, she will not! I promise I will do everything in my power..."

"I know... I know you will. And I am glad it is your child she is carrying... I wish it was under more cheerful circumstances... But, I already love my little niece or nephew." She said with big blue wet orbs staring straight at him.

Peeta smiled. "I know the feeling... I have not even seen her since your mother announced the pregnancy, and I am already so much more in love with Katniss. I know that our child will be the greatest thing to have ever happen to me, and I am excited about it, regardless of the obstacles ahead!" They both exchanged watery smiles. A thought hit him, _Mrs. Everdeen did not say how far along she thought Katniss was._

"Prim? Did your mother have an estimation of how far along is the baby?"

"Oh... Well, it is hard to measure it accurately if Katniss does not remember the date of her last cycle, which she cannot... We already asked. But with the pelvic exam that Mother administered, the pregnancy can be diagnosed as soon as 6 weeks of gestation... So... She might be a little over a month along?" She had given her answer in a very clinical voice, but then she paused and blushed furiously, and got flustered. "It... it might help to know... Um... When you two started... You know..." She made a vague hand gesture towards him as if to explain her meaning, "Um... Not that I really want to know... The thought of you and my sister doing **_that_**! Is so... Ugh!" She shivered and stuck her tongue out as in mock gagging. "By the way... Where is Mother? I need to go home and disinfect my mind out from those gross and inappropriate thoughts and images!" She gagged again and rolled her eyes in disgust.

Lady Trinket raised an eyebrow, looking a little uncomfortable as well. "Mrs. Everdeen is tending to the Duchess... After... Her attack, she was in a lot of pain, and she got a dose of morphling. She was going to see Lady Katniss on her way out."

Thom cleared his throat loudly. "Pardon my intrusion, my Lord, but... You have just been informed that your Lady is carrying your future heir... Well... Is there a reason _Why_  you still remain sitting here on the floor instead of... You know... Elsewhere? You should be... embracing the mother of your child and whatever else you two do, that makes Miss Everdeen so uncomfortable?" Said Thom with a wrinkle of his nose, closely followed by a smirk.

"Mr. Thom is right! I think you better go see Lady Katniss now, my Lord. I am absolutely sure she should be eager to see you as well!" offered Effie.

"Yes! Right! I should go to her!" He said as his face lit up. All the awkwardness about Prim's reference to the actual act that it took to conceive was forgotten. He could not wait to press his hand to Katniss' belly, he was wondering if it had grown at all, or if he could feel their child stirring inside it's mother's womb. He smiled goofily. "Katniss will make a wonderful mother!" And he stood up from where he had been sitting by Effie's feet, pulling Prim up with him.

"That she will!" Prim answered with a smile of her own.

 

=============

 

Peeta entered their bedchamber, as quietly as he could. It would not do to spook Katniss at the moment.

She was clad in sleep clothing, a soft, flowy white nightgown with long baggie sleeves and a single pink ribbon on the front opening for both embellishment and to keep the garment closed. Her long, dark, luscious hair had been left loose cascading down her slender back. She was standing in front of their open window absently, looking out into the forest that surrounds the grounds of their property. Her fingers lightly brushing the surface of the wooden windowsill she had so often sat upon when sad.

She did not acknowledge his presence, just staring at the vastness of the trees and skies she could see from her spot. Spring had come at last; it suited the news, she just wished she could be happy about a spring pregnancy, but all she felt was shell shocked. He sat on the sill, right at her side, facing her. Hands loosely placed on his lap, not quite touching, his eyes were fixed on her face studying her carefully.

"I am with Child, real or not real?..." Her lips barely moved as she whispered, "Mother did not say." Her voice sounded ragged and she still looked out into the distance.

Peeta nodded, and then said, "Yes, **we** are with child... Real!" A single tear rolled down her pretty, stoic face, one of her hands unconsciously rubbed her belly where their child now rested... It was one thing to suspect it, but another to have it confirmed to you by the very person who put it there. He continued "We have been blessed, my love..." He said wiping away her tear. "We will be parents to a wonderful child." He said with a sweet smile on his face.

"And you are not angry?" She asked in a shaky voice finally looking at him, more tears followed. "This complicates... Everything..." She trailed off.

He brought a hand to caress her cheek, while the other one reached to cover the hand she had placed on her stomach.

"Angry? My love, you have given me a great honor! To father a child has been but a distant dream for me, one I had given up on, a long time ago! And to father a child with you as the mother is but the best gift of all! How could I be angry, when my heart is swelling with love for the both of you? So much, to the point I think it will burst any second now!" He said sincerely, his smile so sweet, she found herself smiling back at him, just for a microsecond, before her fears gripped her again, and doubt reared back its ugly head.

With both hands protectively cradling her none existing bump, she asked in a panic, recoiling from his touch, "What is to become of me?... Of us?... When the Duchess finds out..." She took a step back from him and the window, she was starting to hyperventilate, he stood up quickly, and followed her placing his strong, warm hands on her shoulders he pulled her to him.

"She has already been informed. She is actually happy for you." It was not exactly a lie, but he did not wished to burden her with Cashmere's deception, at least for the time being; he did not want to give her anything else to worry about just yet. "I swear to you, on our child's life, I will protect you from anything or any person. You and my baby are the most important people in the world to me, I will take care of both of you with my life, I promise!" He said firmly into her hair. She could feel the foreboding his words carried in the pit of her stomach.

"Peeta... But..."

"But nothing, my love! Your only concern from this day forward is to keep healthy, to eat all you want, to rest, to keep our child safe and nourished... Let me worry about everything else! That is my job and burden to bear."

Suddenly a prickly doubt nagged at her, with the force of a lightning strike.

"How did this happen? How did I conceive when we have been taking every step to avoid it?"

Peeta sighed. "We will talk about it, and ponder over what to do, after you lay down for a rest. You have been up since before dawn this morning, and as I said, your job from this day forth is to be with child!"

"What does that mean?" She asked rolling her eyes at him in annoyance.

"It means that you are relieved of all duties, in particular heavy ones, around the house. I want you sit down and put your dainty little feet up whenever you feel like it, and even when you do not feel like it... I want you eat, rest and stay away from any stress related to running our house..." He was saying dreamily, while placing his hand on her belly, and then pulling her by the arm towards the bed.

"I will get as fat as a cow if all I do all day long is eat and lounge around!" She interrupted him disgustedly.

"Mmm..." He emitted, he held his stubbled chin between his thumb and index finger, and looked at her with a quirk of his eye, as if he was studying her. "That actually sounds right to me, my lady!"

"What?" She asked surprised, staring at him with furrowed brow.

"I think that is what I will be aiming for!" He smiled broadly at her and kissed her full in the mouth. She sighed when he pulled away from her, "I pledge to fatten you up until you cannot see the tips of your toes with a protruding belly full of my baby!" He laughed at her scowl. "You will be the most beautiful pregnant woman Panem has ever seen! I will paint you, in every stage! I will get you the softest fabrics for the most comfortable dresses... I will bake pies, and cookies, and cakes because I want you to have a sweet expecting period! I am going to pamper you rotten!" She had been trying hard to keep her expression annoyed and serious, but it was impossible to not feel amused by his silliness, he was truly happy about this baby, so she smiled shyly at him.

"So... Um... Did you, um... Did you want to... You know... Say hi to your child? Acknowledge it, at least... I have no idea if they can hear anything, but, I was thinking, that we should... You know... Introduce ourselves to him or her..." She stuttered through her words, and found that she really, really hoped he would want to go along with it. She bit her lip as she saw his face, go from amused to serious, to ridiculously happy.

"I would love to talk to our child! And I really, hope it has ears already!" He smiled, a face splitting smile, and she felt her heart flutter at the sight... She loved him! She loved him more than anything, and she knew she had loved her baby ever since she first suspected it was growing inside of her.

 

\-------------------------------

 

The following days, were hard, awkward and very uncomfortable. Cashmere kept to herself in her quarters since both Peeta and Prim had ganged up on her, leaving her bruised and with a nasty gash on her lower lip. She was also mourning her brother and Glimmer.

Katniss, offered to erect a small memorial for them in the lake in the woods, but Cashmere declined.

Peeta told Katniss how Cashmere had instructed the apothecary in the Capitol, to switch labels on her pill bottles. How Katniss had been taking vitamins the whole time, that they actually aided in her conceiving. And it mattered not if he wore the lambskin at all since it had been punctured with needles, rendering it useless. Katniss had been very angry; he had to hold her tightly to him to stop her from running up to the Duchess' chamber and giving her a broken arm to go with her broken lip.

She had decided that she would heed his wishes to just sit around and veg when she was bigger and could no longer support her weight on her feet. For now, she was going to enjoy her energy and still went about her business as usual. Katniss enjoyed helping in the kitchens, helping in the planting of the garden, helping Peeta with the books and finances of the farm. Their Help always seem to light up when she showed up to work. She avoided the stables for the most part, she still felt incredibly sick when she smelled the place. Plus now, for some irrational reason, she thought she could smell her own puke there as well. But, there was never a lack of stable boys tripping to assist her by bringing Diana and Fortuna outside to her. Diana was big now, half way to her full size, she was very smart and sweet, and she loved playing with her mistress. Fortuna was sweet, still a baby, and Katniss just loved spending time with them.

In the week that had lapsed since confirming her suspicions, she had started to waiver between panic attacks and dreamy contentment, she was still unsure of what would be her fate, or more importantly that of her baby. Baron Odair had come and gone taking with him every document pertaining to her contract, to study at length; he was not sufficiently versed on concubinage laws, but, he had promised he would buy every book on the subject available. He promised to return soon, and at Katniss insistence, he would do so with Annie and Finn junior on tow.

Finnick also informed them, that the situation with Lord Crane was far from settled. He was still in hiding, after murdering a Knight in cold blood in front of witnesses. Clove kept imploring Peeta to allow Cashmere to stay under his protection until Lord Crane had been captured. So, Katniss decided that if the Duchess was there to stay for an indefinite amount of time, they needed to work on having a cordial relationship; which on paper was all well and dandy, and absolutely easier said than done.

Cashmere had been given a whole wing of the house for herself, they had turned a few rooms into a small library, office, and sitting area, she was also been given a maid... Cecilia volunteered for the post, after all the other maids declined the position, Peeta refused to force any of his maids to work for such a sour mistress, but, he did warn Cashmere that one complaint out of Cecilia for mistreatment, and she would have to fend for herself. Katniss really missed Cecilia, and Cecilia missed Katniss, but she would anything to keep the Witch away from her masters.

The few times Cashmere left her chambers, she made Katniss uncomfortable with her faux sweet, affectionate interest in her state. One day she even asked if she could feel her stomach, to which Katniss emphatically refused. Cashmere's smile had faltered for a moment and she was about to open her mouth to demand she was allowed to do as she wished, when Peeta entered the sitting room, and fixed her with a murderous stare, she has not asked to touch Katniss ever since. It was clear Cashmere had developed some kind of fear towards Peeta, and he was not terribly sorry about it.

Since finding out about the baby, Peeta had avoided any intimacy with Katniss, swearing he would be alright, he could go without sex for the rest of the pregnancy. The problem was that she was horny as hell, and felt frustrated by his caution. So she shyly asked her mother, for advice, Katniss made it clear that she was only asking in a patient-healer capacity, just to pretend the awkward topic was easier to navigate... It was not! But she left Baker's Place making her mental plan for that night.

She had been rutting around her drawers until she found, pushed to the very back of her undergarment drawer, a small, see-through, little camisole, and matching set of underpants, that were supposed to be paired with a gown she had never wore before, the dress she had been saving for her future wedding gown. She was going to wear it that night for dinner! She figured, soon, the gown would never, _ever_ , fit right on her body after childbirth; that night was just a perfect a time to wear it as it would ever be, and if it help her persuade Peeta to... _Throw caution to the winds_... Then it would have serve it's purpose! She would just have to commission a new wedding gown from Mr. Cinna and Mrs. Portia, when the need for it came, she decided, as she smirked at herself while appraising her reflection in her mirror. She looked amazing, even if she thought so herself. ' _Who would have known that having a bun in the oven, would give a girl such an amazing looking backside!_ ' 

She had prepared supper herself and set up a small table for two in their chamber; she told everyone she felt indisposed to dine with the rest of the house, but sagely requested His Grace's presence to her tiny table for dinner; he was there right on time too and his mouth fell open when he saw her.

She wore a skin tight, soft mermaid cut, silk dress that hugged her every newly developed curve just right. His eyes roamed her body up and down, and his Adam's apple bobbed sharply as he swallowed thickly. Her breasts were incredible, they were pushed up high and very close together, they looked round and full and he could actually see a generous amount of cleavage, spilling out of the very low square neckline. The dress was a very light shade of yellow, almost cream, delicately embroidered with tiny crystals that shimmered and flickered as the light hit it directly, reminiscing of candlelight as she moved about the room.

"Like what you see, Your Grace?" She asked with a smirk; the rest of her was all natural, except for a touch of pink on her lips, her hair was down, she was not wearing any other makeup and had chosen to stay barefoot. He did not just simply _like_ what he was seeing, he loved it!

"My Lady, I think that our offspring has made you a little evil!" He deadpanned, tearing his lust-filled eyes from her chest to fix them on her eyes.

"How so?" She asked intrigued, still smirking. He slumped heavily into his chair at the small round table.

"You were never this cruel to me before... Strutting around looking so provocative... Knowing full well what you are doing to my nether region, and that I cannot have you" He whined motioning to his slightly tented trousers. 

"Aww... My Lord you are so adorable when you are wrong..." She said condescendingly, with a small smile on her lips. He scowled at her and narrowed his eyes with mock annoyance "Tell you what, Sir..." She sat on his lap and he did not waste time in putting both of his arms around her. One of his hands found its way to palm and caress her silk clad, perfectly round bottom. Katniss slid her fingers through his messy hair tenderly, as she continued in a sweet voice "We can bypass the meal, after all it is just grossling stew, which can be easily reheated in the hearth, and the rest of the food consists of fresh fruits that we can eat at any moment..." She placed a light kiss on his neck, and He looked at her curiously. 

"And what does my Lady suggest we do instead of partaking of the grossling stew?" He asked with raised eyebrow.

"Mmm... Well... You could get me out of this gown for starters, and then you could have me to your heart's content..." Her hand ran up and down his chest, and then stopped to play with the top button of his shirt, her eyes that had been demurely looking at her hands, now looked at his eyes under long eyelashes.

"Katniss..." He sighed, a serious expression in his face; She had learned the art of seduction all on her own, and he had to remind himself a thousand times over, in just the 10 seconds it took her to steal his breath away, that he had gotten her pregnant for being weak under those swirling grey eyes that rendered him powerless to resist her spell... He had to resist it now, out of respect for their unborn child!

"Peeta!" She returned mockingly. "I will have you know, that I have it from a very reliable source that intercourse, during pregnancy cannot hurt anything, unless the woman has had a history of problems already established..."

"And I refuse to risk finding out that you do have some kind of problem!" He said firmly. It was her turn to whine.

"Aww, come on Peeta... Annie said that pregnant sex was the most incredible thing she ever experienced, and she did it until well into her last trimester and everything was fine!" She groaned like a little child.

"Katniss, you cannot... Just because it worked for someone else... And... how in hell would you even know that about Annie's sex life? It's highly disturbing!" He said exasperated and uncomfortable.

"We wrote letters to each other, I asked her about it and she responded... Women talk, to each other, Peeta! And... Why is it disturbing? I would expect you would go to your friends for advice when you have questions... Or is it disturbing to you because she used to be your sexual partner for a while, and now she is doing it with Finnick?" She asked irritably.

"God! Please... Can you stop? I really do not want to have anything linking _our_ intimacy with our friends... I am sorry I slept with Annie, it was a dark time in my life, and would never, ever wish to have to speak about it again... With you especially. You are the mother of my children, the woman that I love and will spend the rest of my life with!" He hissed rubbing his face with his free hand roughly.

"Children? As in how many do you want? Hopefully this one is only one child... I do not think I could handle multiples." said Katniss with big eyes, making Peeta chuckled, and relax enough to resume making circular motions with his open hand over her perfectly round bottom.

"I will have as many as you give me! I will certainly enjoy making them!" He exclaimed smiling broadly at her, and kissing her cheek lovingly.

"Well, I am going to insist on taking a rest for a couple of years before even thinking about more pregnancies... In the mean time, tell me... How would you plan to make them exactly?" She said coyly snaking a hand around his neck, and leaning her body flushed against his chest.

"I know what you are doing... I am not falling for your trickery!" He muttered darkly.

"Oh, really?" She purred, kissing his clean shaved jaw; she liked it when he had a light stubble, but she also enjoyed it when his skin was soft and smooth and inviting, like now, "Well, it is good then, that I have been very clear with my intentions since you came into the chamber, my love... No trickery involved!" She said cheerily, then opened her mouth and her tongue sprang out to lick a path from his collarbone to his mouth, where she plunged it in mercilessly. He groaned, and his fingers dug into her sides.

Suddenly, he got up with her still perched on his arms, and walked towards their bed. "You will be the death of me woman!" He growled in her ear, she laughed, because she had lost count of the many times he has said those exact words to her in moments like these, and she was sure, she would hear them again and again as the years go by. "By the way..." he added, "You had me at _My Love_! I really, **really** like the sound of those words, coming from your lips!" He said as he lowered her tenderly on their bed, she kissed him quickly, and gave him a shy smile as her cheeks tinted slightly pink. That was another thing he loved, the ease with which she shifted from coy to shy in the most tantalizing ways... Yes... He was having sex tonight, lots of it if she kept this up. "I hope this is medically permitted... I really do not want to hurt our baby." He whispered against her neck.

"Already cleared it with my Healer..." she moaned softly as he kissed her throat. "As long as we go slowly, we have nothing to worry about, plus... In my last check up, we established, that I have been with child mostly the whole time we have been active... pretty much from the very beginning, and we had have some very intense sexual encounters, with no adverse effects. I think, it is safe to assume that if we did not hurt it the day you fucked my every crevice at the same time, you will not hurt anything now."

"Oh, shit, Katniss... Say that again... Talk about me fucking you... Describe it... It is the most sensual thing I have ever heard!" He said between kisses to her shoulders and neck, palming and squeezing her breast over the soft barely there silk of her gown, while the tip of his fingers felt the warm skin of the top of her breasts. He ground his incredibly hard erection against her thigh, and she shifted her leg upwards to assist him with more friction. He hissed and she moaned.

"Where the fuck are the buttons of this dress? I want to peel it off of you right now!" He growled frustrated. She giggled and grabbed his hand, slowly she brought it to her side, under her arm. His fingers clumsily found the thin metal piece of the zipper, hidden from view. He pulled it down, all the way past her hip.

"Um... I will need to stand to get out of it I think..." She said softly. He wordlessly jumped off of her, and swiftly pulled her up with him. She smiled at him and decided she wanted to disrobe for him, so she pushed him back down to sit on the bed. He started working on his own clothes right away, while his eyes stared at her greedily.

She slowly pulled off the soft bubble sleeves of her dress, off of her shoulders and arms, and slowly let the rest of the flimsy material fall under its own weight, to pool at her feet. She was left in her matching set of sheer under clothes... He had been shedding his own clothes off as he watched her intently, and was currently shoving his undershorts down his thighs, he stopped moving for a second, to take her all in. _She was gorgeous, and she was all his_!

"I like your garments, my Lady... Very much!" He tripped over his own words, not even attempting to hide his greed and lust for her. "I lied!" He suddenly said flitting his eyes back to hers, this gave her a nervous pause, "There is no fucking way I can go a whole nine months without making love to you... I just... I will have to be tender and careful from now on," He slid his shorts all the way off, and reached for her hand, pulling her close to him, she stood between his legs, and his member bobbed impatiently against his stomach, but, he had to say the next words before going any further. "No more crazy, impulsive, experimental positions or foreign objects... Just, plain old lovemaking. No hard fucking, agreed?" He asked her seriously, cradling her face in his big hands, with such care, like she was a fragile, priceless treasure. She knew 'the agreement', was more for her sake than his; she was the one to push the limits. He would be happy with tender and soft lovemaking the rest of his life, she was the insatiable one, but, she knew he was right, they would have time for hard fucking when the baby was born; so she nodded Her assent.

"Agreed... But then... When I am no longer with child, I want you to go crazy!" She said lowering her mouth to claim his lips, bringing her leg up to rub against his manhood.

So they resumed their intimacy; he laid her down softly, and kissed her whole body lovingly after removing her underthings, she let her hands roamed all over his body until she found his erection, all hot velvety skin over thick hard manhood. She pumped him for a few moments, just like he liked it, and she relished in the sounds he made for her. He brought his own hand between her thighs, and simply rubbed her coarse hairs, she found it so sensual, she moaned her approval into his ear. Her moisture sipped from between her folds and spilled all over his fingers even when he had yet to explore past her outer lips.

He decided to just push himself inside of her. Her back arched at the quick intrusion, he had not given her any warnings, but she welcomed it all the same. And then... For the very first time since they had been together, she said it! as he pumped himself in and out of her slowly, but with purpose,

"I love you Peeta..." She breathed in his ear, her fingers tangled in his blond waves, her eyes closed and her head rolled back in ecstasy. "I love you so much! I will love you for as long as I live..." His heart swelled, and started beating at triple speed. He wanted to laugh, and cry, and kiss her all over, and he did most of that, he snaked his arms around her petit body and squeezed her to him, until she protested for lack of air. All the while he would not stop whispering in her ear how much in love he was with her.

He tried to bring his fingers to her sensitive spot, but she begged him to stay his hand, saying that his hardness was enough, and she proved herself right after a few more minutes of him hitting a deep spot inside of her, sliding his member up and down her throbbing clitoris just right, as he went. She fished for his lips, until she found them, and soon he was spilling his seed deep inside of her. He was cautious not to slump on top of her, moving most of his body to the side, whilst still buried in her folds.

"God... I love making love to you!" He whispered softly into her hair. She was still trying to bring her breathing down to normal, but smiled into his shoulder.

"I know... I do to!" She affirmed with a satiated smile, that he lazily returned.

"So..." He said with his deep after coitus voice, she loved so much; he heaved off of her completely, and rolled unto his side, he draped his arm around her ribcage, and curled his leg between both of hers, before he smirked and asked his question, "You cleared it with your Healer, huh? How did that conversation go?" Looking down at her, his eyes full of mischief and amusement. 

"Oh, shut up!" She swatted him on the chest halfheartedly. He chuckled and flopped on his back, pulling her by the waist to land on top of him between laughs and tickles.

Then she said with mock seriousness "For your information, Mother can keep a straight face during professional consultation. She said, it is actually a normal occurrence that a woman's libido be... What did she call it... Amplified during the expectancy, it is all those hormones..." She chuckled to herself for a moment, "Apparently, some women even feel releases during dreams! Just like adolescent boys do!"

"And you find that amusing?" He said, clearly finding the amusement in it as well.

"Of course I do! Can you imagine me wanting you so much, my subconscious would provide for an orgasm without you even having to touch me? It is ridiculous! Just give me the real thing, thank you very much!" She giggled.

"Gladly..." He flipped them again, she on her back and him on top, peppering her face with kisses, while she squealed. Then he pulled away, he looked at her with so much love in his eyes, she felt relaxed and happy.

"I hope that he or she looks like you!" She said softly, while her hands rubbed his biceps up and down, he smiled down at her and shook his head.

"She will be all you!" He said firmly, making her giggle again.

"And how are you so sure I am carrying a _She_?" Her smile was brilliant.

"I... do not know, to be honest... But, I just keep imagining myself running my fingers through her long dark tresses, and she is all pink chubby cheeks, and eyes as big as Prim's, and she sits on my lap in my study, telling me all about her day and her dolls, right before you come into the room to fetch us for supper... And I have to add... In this little scenario of mine, your belly is swollen with another child soon to pop out... I hope you get used to the idea of at least a pair of little ones filling your stomach, because I cannot stop the fantasy from filling my mind, asleep or awake."

"Mmm... I think you are getting ahead of yourself, my love... Let me deliver this one first, and then we can negotiate for more." She kissed him tenderly, but he noticed her mood had dimmed.

"Sweetheart... Is there something the matter?" He asked, she sighed.

"I do not want _her_ to be a her... I want this child to be a boy... It will be easier for him to survive this cruel world as a boy. No one would be trying to trade him off for favors or goods; he will not be objectified, or used, or abused. And if we figure out a way to ensure his legality, he would be heir to the dukedom and all your wealth without contest... A girl will never have the same standing a boy would, a girl would not even be a person." She said sadly, combing her fingers through his hair, while he looked down at her... His eyes took a glassy, far away expression. Then, suddenly, he scooted down her body until his eyes were leveled with her navel.

His big, warm hands splayed on her barely there bump with great care; her stomach was not flat anymore, there was a very slight swell protruding under her belly button and he directed his lips there.

"Uh... Hello there, little Duke or Duchess..." Katniss tummy rumbled with silent laughter, but he gave her a look, that made her suppress her laughter, although she tried fighting off the many smiles that kept spring up to her lips. "Sorry, for the interruption... Your mother is being slightly unhelpful and irritating, she does not think you and I can hold a serious conversation, but, I know you can hear me! By the way... I am your... Father!"

"Daddy!" Katniss said, he snapped his face up at hers, he found no trace of amusement there, just a slight content smile, from lips being bitten shyly "That is what I used to call Father when I was a little girl... It's more... Familiar..." She explained with a shrug. He smiled at her and nodded, then returning his attention to her stomach.

"I guess your... _Mommy_ , is not as irritating and unhelpful after all," he mock whispered, and she giggled. "As I was saying, my name is Peter, although I prefer to be called Peeta by my loved ones, and... Well, I am your Daddy!" He smiled. Saying the word to her belly felt better than right. "I cannot wait to meet you, and hold you in my arms... I want you to know, that although your momma is scared for you, not without reason... I vow to protect you from all the evils of our society to the best of my efforts! Whether you are a boy or a girl, you are my child, and I already love you more than anything in this world... I know I cannot guarantee anything in this life, but, I will do my very best to fill your world with happiness and love, just like that of your mother. You two are the most important people in my life. I love you both so much." He kissed the spot, and laid his head in the general area, his arms surrounded her sides, and she caressed his head.

"She will be the luckiest little girl in Panem... Her Daddy is the most loving person I know, and I am so glad it is me the one giving him her!" They smiled at each other, in their little cocoon of safety, with loving caresses and sweet words; they basked in the bliss of the beginnings of their small family, until sleep claimed them both.

 

============

 

"We will run!" Prim whispered to him with determined eyes. "Thom, Mother, Katniss and you too! We cannot stay here and have that odious King ruin more lives. Katniss' child needs protecting from Cashmere and the King, and we will not protect anyone sitting like ducks in a pond! We have to leave Panem, the sooner the better!" She did not even blink her her big almond shape eyes as she wrapped a hand around his wrist forcefully across from his desk.

"Prim..." He said cautiously. "What do you think you know?"

Finnick had returned, with Annie and the Baby with the addition of Mags. Haymitch had made his way back to Winter Home as well, and Gale had sent Mr. Latier, or Beetee, as he insisted he was to be addressed, under the guise of having struck a friendship with Haymitch over the drinks they shared in the Capitol. Beetee brought news from the net of rebels that had been woven all over the kingdom.

Regrettably, there was no word on the man hunt placed on Lord Crane, except that all his assets had been repositioned and absorbed by the crown, and that there was a reward for information of his whereabouts, but so far no one had stepped forward.

  
The day of their arrival, two weeks after Katniss' pregnancy had been announced, while Katniss, Annie and Mags, fawned over Finnick Junior, the men were having a 'Drink' in Peeta's study. That was, until Prim banged on the door and demanded she be admitted to the meeting.

"And where the hell is Thom?" Peeta had asked grouchily.

"How the hell should I know? He does not tell me what he is doing when you send him on secret errands!" She said morosely, crossing her thin arms over her chest.

Prim took her time, looking deep into Peeta's eyes, they had been in this position so many times that they had developed their own sight language by now.

"All I know is... just that for the royals, we are merely tradable pieces of ass to be bought and fucked... That you and Katniss are willing to do anything to protect me... That you would even risk the noose as a traitor to keep me safe... And that no one is safe, while that monster is in the throne..." They were staring into each other's eyes again. He did not deny anything. "My decision is made! I will not let you or my pregnant sister get hurt..."

"Prim..." Peeta straightened up from the tense position he had adopted when Prim started her traitorous talk against the Crown, both hands flat on his desk, back stiff as his body leaned forward, facing the teenager. He went around his desk, grabbed her shoulders and tried to walk her backwards, away from the men that had been silent, listening and staring at the petit blond with wide eyes. They only shuffled so far before he spoke more seriously to her. "Lady Crane, whom the King wanted to wed, is dead. She hung herself apparently out of grief after my cousin poisoned her drinking water, causing her to lose the child she was carrying in her womb. Lady Clove speculates that Prince Cato had been inquiring about the different herbs women take to... Terminate unwanted pregnancies." He paused to take a breath, and her eyebrows had furrowed. "What I am trying to say with all of this, is that, wedding Lady Crane was the reason the King needed a bride to bribe Lord Marvel. No Lady Crane, no more need for a bribe bride. Does the Prince still have an interest in you and Katniss? We are not sure, neither him nor the King have said anything else bout you girls... For now, we will just wait and see... The important thing right now is that neither of you can be touched, at least under the current laws"

Prim's face was filled with disgust, worry and suddenly fear. "Why would the Prince try and terminate a baby?" She said with a scowl.

"He is a paranoid prick! Thinking his right to the throne would be threatened" Peeta responded almost flatly.

"I wonder who would have been so heartless as to tell him what herbs to use... Mother does not want to show me the plants for that purpose just yet, she believes the contraceptive pills are a much safer solution for women, now that the science is available." Prim said smartly.

Peeta's brow furrowed for a moment, "Cashmere is an expert on the subject, actually... when she was younger she would inhale the smoke of one such herb that in small doses would prevent conception... However, after we married, something happened. She got careless, and passed out near the place she had prepared her concoction; she had inhaled the stuff for hours before her help found her. Her reproductive system was poisoned by then. There is a very real chance nothing will ever grow in her womb." He was lost in thought for a moment, "She has always been the one person to go to inquire about such things, but I am not sure, she would have provided Cato with the information willingly, especially knowing first-hand how things could go so wrong."

"You think the Duchess would try to harm Katniss baby?" She gasps.

"No... She wants that baby, she already said so. I am not sure of her motives, but it probably has to do with me divorcing her." Finnick cleared his throat at that statement, and Peeta met his sea green eyes so full of apprehension.

"Later..." He mouthed at his friend, and Peeta gave him a nod. Ignoring the small exchanged between the other two, Prim barreled in with her next indignant words.

"But the Prince... He poisoned that poor woman! He killed her baby!" She said grimacing.

"It is all speculation Prim. I do not know how much truth the accusations hold, but I would not put it past him." He said grimly.

"He cannot be close to Katniss... Ever! I am certain he will find reason to poison her as well!" There was real terror in Prim's pretty blue eyes.

"Yeah... I have been thinking the same."

"Like father, like son..." Came the soft voice of Beetee; "As long as the House of Snow remains, no one will be safe." It was true, a pair of dangerous snakes sat upon the throne of Panem, their weapon: poison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No direct quotes borrowed from the source material in this chapter, although, I did alluded at a couple phrases found in the books. 
> 
> The "Fish Oils", in the prenatal pills Cashmere put together for Katniss are Omega 3s stuff. I know this wouldn't be knowledge available for the fictitious timeline used in this story, but, hey... I want to contribute my personal knowledge in what I write, even if it is not time accurate! Research indicates that the two most beneficial omega-3s EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). supports the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response. DHA specifically, supports the fetus' brain development, eyes, and central nervous system which is why it is uniquely important for pregnant and lactating women. Omega-3s are also used after birth to make breast milk. With each subsequent pregnancy, mothers are further depleted. Research has confirmed that adding EPA and DHA to the diet of pregnant and lactating women has a positive effect on visual and cognitive development of the baby. Studies have also shown that higher consumption of omega-3s may reduce the risk of allergies in infants.
> 
> Some of the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids positive effects on the pregnancy are: It prevents pre-term labor and delivery, it lowers the risk of preeclampsia and may increase birth weight. It may also help prevent postpartum mood disorders. Sadly, this information is not widely shared to expectant or new mothers... If you are lactating, or pregnant, please take the time to inform yourself about intake of DHA... As the mother of an extreme Preemie, I can't stress enough the importance of a healthy pregnancy and and the intake of anything that could aid your baby's development.
> 
> "Hagar's Law" is of course, fictitious. But, I got the concept from Genesis 16, which tells us the story of Hagar and Sarai. Sarai was Abram's aging wife, who doubted God's promise of granting the old couple children. Sarai considered herself barren, and got impatient waiting on God's will, she decided to take matters into her own hands, by giving her servant Hagar to lay with her husband until she got pregnant, then the servant's children (who would technically be "slaves") would pass as Sarai's own; her idea being she would use Hagar's uterus, much like a modern surrogate mother, except, now a days it's all artificial insemination, and back then Abram actually did the inseminating directly... this didn't work all that great in the end. God was not pleased Sarai doubted his promise, he wasn't happy Abram actually went with it and got a woman other than his wife Pregnant, and lastly Hagar thought she was better than her mistress and started acting disdainfully towards her. The resulting child of this experiment, was Ishmael, who was forevermore at odds with Isaac, his half brother, the son, Sarah eventually birthed to her husband Abraham. NOTE: This is in no way meant as a historical fact, religious point of view, or even political stance... Remember this is all to help a fictional plot line, in a work of fiction. 
> 
> Stoneseed Root, is arguably the plant Cashmere snorted to sterilized herself. But I decided to leave it vague in case any other herb can have similar effects. The inhalation of the Stoneseed Root vapors and smoke, does actually cause permanent infertility. An infusion of cold water where the root of the plant has steep for hours can be drank as a natural contraception, but the plant is very powerful and taking it consistently for over 5 months will cause permanent sterility. 
> 
> So, I apologize for the long wait on this chapter. I really have abused my beta's time, she is currently working in two more of my stories along with The Concubine, and she did and excellent job at turning this chapter around in less than a week, so hurray for her, and I hope I'm not causing her delays in her own works, which are amazing! Thank you for reading... Hope it was worth the wait. Note that I've updated the chapter count once more, hopefully this time, it will stick. An Epilogue is already on the works, but that doesn't mean the last chapters have been written yet, I just want to make sure I don't leave anything untied. Comments are my currency... And I crave them!!!!


	23. Hagar's Law

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The Hunger Games series and it's recognizable characters belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
> A big, huge thank you to my Beta abk1973. I know you're busy, but still come through no matter how tall my chapters pile at! You're awesome.
> 
> Now, before you proceed to the chapter, I would like to ask you to go to the link I will provide below, watch the little video, and hopefully it will help illustrate a scene towards the middle/end of the chapter... Let me know if my trick worked :)
> 
> Only 4 more chapters guys! 
> 
> Happy Summer and Happy belated Mother's Day everyone! 
> 
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-F5qgEBHAVM

Finnick Odair's sea green eyes were so beautiful and shiny, they seem to pierce you all the way through your soul, and one truly could get lost in those sparkly eyes if not careful. Katniss was also mesmerized, looking at his copper colored curls, wondering how it would feel under the touch of her fingers. Finnick Odair truly was the most beautiful thing her grey eyes had seen in a long while, all of his twenty one inches of stature! The little master had managed to keep every female in the house glued to his little pram-like-chair for the past fifteen minutes; it was almost like his gurgles and coos had bewitched the whole house!

"Can I hold him, please?" Asked Prim, with big puppy eyes and both hands clasped in front of her chest in a pleading gesture. "I am a Healer in training; I know how to hold babies with ease..." She pleaded. Annie just bursted out in laughter, and nodded her consent as she wiped away a tear of merriment from her pretty face. Annie sure looked more relax and happy than the last time Katniss had seen her, it gave her confidence that everything would be fine when her time came.

"I want to hold him next!" Katniss piped up watching the baby greedily. "He has grown so much in the past few weeks; he is not bald anymore... Does he still smell like cuteness and cuddles?"

"Of course!" Annie laughed.

"He surely is a doll, my Lady!" said Mrs. Everdeen as she looked on with a sweet smile at the baby boy that was now burrowing into Prim's arms. "I cannot wait for my grandchild to be born! It has been so long since the giggles of a child has filled my heart... A baby can have such a healing effect on a person's life..." She trailed off, Katniss's face snapped up at her mother, this was the first time she had heard her officially acknowledged the creature growing inside of her as her ' _anything_ ', up until then, it had always been ' _the child_ ', or, the more clinical term ' _fetus_ ' she often used while explaining the developmental stages it was going to go through during the spiel about healthy eating habits and the need for daily exercises and appropriate rest; but never had she directly referred to it as her _Grandchild_ , let alone express fondness for it.

"That they do ma'am! A Mellark baby will be a welcome blessing to our household!" affirmed Old Sea who was one of the several women to have come see the future Baron that afternoon. Katniss's mother however pursed her lips, and it did not go unnoticed by the rest of the women in the drawing room, so Effie was quick to try and dissipate the awkwardness.

"Lady Katniss' child will certainly be surrounded by love and care... His Grace will dote on his child; there is no doubt about it." Her comment did not do much to appease Mrs. Everdeen, so Annie tried next.

"My husband, the Baron, is currently working hard to assure the wellbeing of the babe. Lady Katniss will want for nothing. The child's future will be safeguarded, legally speaking... I know my husband; he will do everything in his power to help... Do not fret too much Mrs. Everdeen" she said placing a hand over the older woman's clasped ones. Both women smiled at each other.

"Lord Odair needs to do nothing, really!" The soft voice of Lady Clove was heard at the very back of the room. She had slipped in unnoticed, and had been watching the women fawning over Baby Odair. "Her Grace does not oppose the child be given his or her due place in His Grace's family tree... Nor she will deny it the right to have its Father's name... _Baby Mellark_..." She slurred, dragging the sound 'ark' for longer than it was necessary. "She has selfish reasons for it, but, the child will not be adversely affected by her agenda... Or so she has promised me... But, then again, she promised me she had nothing to do with the Prince's heinous act against Lady Crane's child, and I was not particularly reassured by that either..." She said with a haphazard shrug.

"Lady Clove!" Effie stood up abruptly. The dark haired woman had a slight slur to her words, almost as if inebriated. Her appearance also showed her impairment. Katniss who up until then had remained silent, sinking deep into her cushioned chair trying to blend with the furniture, gave a huff, and slowly got up walking towards the other woman, she started apologizing to the Baroness and the rest of the party.

"I am so sorry, my Ladies... I will escort Lady Clove to the kitchen for a cup of tea... If you need anything please let me know so I can send it up." She said wrapping a hand around Cloves elbow.

Old Sae eyed the two women leaving the room, after a moment of pregnant silence, she made her decision. "I will go down to the kitchen and assist my mistress. Thank you for the small parenthesis in my duties my Lady, by allowing an old woman the joy of meeting the future Baron Quattro. Ladies..." She bowed to the rest of the women. Mags who every now and then would made a garbled comment, approached her and whispered something into the cook's ear, which made her laugh and nod vigorously in agreement. "Smart observation ma'am, I will get working on that!" And the cook left for the kitchens with a bow.

"What do you think your Nanny has told Old Sae, My Lady?" Asked Prim with a quizzical look in her gaze. Baby Finn yawned widely and closed his eyes lazily into her warm arms.

"Oh... I am sure she was asking the old cook to stuff Lady Katniss with more food... She has been deploring her skinny state ever since she came to Sea Breeze a few weeks back. She basically shoved food down her throat then, she probably thinks it is her job to do it here as well... Nanny Mags is funny that way, I keep telling her that Katniss is perfect the way she is, with her size she should not put on too much weight... Plus, she is so active any way!" Annie said nonchalantly fixing the small baby rag over Prim's shoulder, baby Finnick seemed awfully comfortable in the teenager's arms as he was slowly but surely falling asleep.

"Oh... I agree with Mrs. Mags! Lady Katniss should eat more! What do you think Mrs. Everdeen?... You are a healer and her mother!" Said Effie and the rest of the help present, nodded and made little assenting noises of their own.

"Well, my daughter will eat a whole horse if you put it in front of her and told her it was hers to finish... I swear _**she eats like she will never see food again**_ "

" _We would not have unless_ she _brought it home_..." Muttered Prim under her breath glaring at her mother, the comment shut her mother up for a moment, then regaining her composure continued as if nothing else had been said.

"But, now that morning sickness is receding, and she is feeling more cravings I am sure she will gain some weight... Lady Odair is right... Her small frame should not allow for much. Getting overweight would be unhealthy, we surely need to keep an eye on it, Lady Trinket!"

"Certainly... What would you say about writing down a suggested menu for the Lady's meals? We can make it a balance diet for her, a guide of sorts... of course she can modify it if she pleases..."

Both women quickly forgot about the Odair babe, too engrossed in their ideas, until they stood up and moved to Effie's office to seemingly work in a nutrition chart for Katniss. Prim rolled her eyes.

"Katniss will love that." She said sarcastically, "I wish Mother and Lady Trinket would not encourage each other! What with Effie's scheduling enthusiasm and Mother's overcompensation for her years of abandonment, they will soon have that poor child's life planed for, all the way up to adulthood! Mark my words" Everyone laughed.

 

=====================

 

"Here..." Katniss handed Lady Clove a steaming mug of tea that she clung to for dear life.

"Gloss killed his bastard of a father when he was eighteen," Clove bursted out of nowhere, Katniss paused for a moment, then set off fixing something on a plate, Clove continued "He had given Cashmere a black eye and had threatened to rape her... Never got the chance. The boy killed the scumbag with his own bare hands. Of course, nobody ever found out, and if they did, no one blamed the kid, the old man had it coming, and no one felt sad when his lifeless body turned up, face down on a river stream... Now, their mother was another story... She killed herself when she could not take any longer the abuse her husband gave her. He would let other men have her as payment for debts, if she did not perform or if she cried or complained he would smack her around... when the woman was gone, the abused passed down to her defenseless children... I hate that bitch more than anything; she selfishly left her family behind to pick up the pieces." Clove looked more asleep than awake and Katniss' face twisted in disgust at the words that spilled from her mouth, she could not agree nor disagree with her blaming Mrs. DeLoach, she was a victim, yes, but it was true she left two children to fend for themselves with that monster as father. "I am sure... Completely one hundred percent _sure_ , that, had Gloss killed that bastard that sold both their bodies to pay off his gambling addiction, earlier, and had the sick monster not driven his wife to suicide, Cashmere would not be as fucked up in the head as she is! You have to understand, she really is not a bad person... She is just... Fucked up in the head! Do you understand the difference, Miss Everdeen?" She looked up at Katniss with big weary brown eyes and dark circles under them. She did not relax until Katniss nodded her understanding "My parents hate her, you know... They blame her for my lack of... Suitors. They said that if I was not known as the _most expensive whore in Panem's_ confidant, I would catch a good husband... And then be as happy as my sister is!" She snorted derisively " _Happy_! With her failed marriage and her two brats that cling to her day and night... Do not get me wrong, I love my nephews, but, they will grow up to be men and use women just like their daddy does!" She rubbed her eyes in a most undignified way and laid her head on the wooded surface of the kitchen table, her dark hair spilling all over around her head. She was a mess.

"Lady Clove, I will really never understand why would you stay friends with the Duchess, and go as far as defending her even when you know she is guilty of all the evils she is being accused of, but... Everyone deserves somebody that loves them unconditionally." Katniss said firmly, trying to straighten up the melting mess of a woman that was Clove at the moment.

"I already told you!" She snapped angrily, "She is not a bad person... Just really fucked in the head!" She said firmly like it was obvious. "But, sometimes... I wish I could smack some sense into her... I just cannot condone tricking a teenager into fucking a man twice her age to purposefully getting her pregnant... for her own selfish benefit!" She spat wiping away the hair sticking to her face. "It is sick, and appalling, and all around shitty!" Clove must be really hammered, to be using that kind of language, Katniss surmised. She was not usually so foul mouthed, at the moment she would win a contest between her and Prim for sure.

"How much did you have to drink, my Lady?" Asked Katniss quietly bringing a damp rag to clean Clove's cheek from some flour or sugar maybe, residue left behind from the breakfast preparations that morning.

"Ha... You know? I never had rum before? It burns going down, but it makes your thoughts scamper away, just not for long..." She smiled goofily, "By the way... Cashmere has rum in her chambers... Lots of it... Or maybe less now that I poured some out the window of her room and down my own throat, just to assist in the process... She is very nasty when she is drunk." She leaned on her elbow and smiled at her tea cup.

"Alright, I will have Thresh sweep her chambers until we have disposed of her spirits and liquor." Katniss assured her softly.

"You are being awfully nice to me... Do you pity me? Because I will... Slap you if you pity me!" Clove said looking at Katniss suspiciously from narrowed eyes.

"I do not pity you, my Lady. Not in the slightest."

"Good! _**I don't care if you are knocked up, I'll rip your throat out,**_ " Said Clove. Katniss only shook her head at the woman, in her state it would be a miracle if she did not fall on her face and broke her own nose before she could even reach Katniss.

"Well, I hope you reconsider your threat as more than likely _I_ will be the one tending to your recuperating ass after you sleep your drunkenness off for a few hours." Said Katniss flatly, placing a plate with hearty slices of bread in front of the woman, "Now, eat, so I can send you up to your bedchamber." She told Clove as if she was a little girl.

"I feel sorry for your child..." Clove blurted out, this made Katniss turn around and was about to start yelling at woman, when she kept talking. "It does not deserve to be plucked away from his or her mother, who obviously cares about it, and put into the care of Cashmere Mellark... She will make a terrible mother. That babe should never be left alone with her." She slurred and then yawned.

"If you are so concerned about my child's wellbeing, then why not just spill already on the motives my dear cousin could possibly have for causing me and Peeta so much distress? And you are welcome to throw in any ideas of how to prevent my baby from going to her care, and protect my motherly rights over the child... Go on; keep enlightening me with your drunken wisdom!" She snapped annoyed, but Clove shrugged her slender shoulders.

"Just like my sister cannot divorce her cheating husband, because the law says they have to stay together until the children are of age and such... I think Cashmere is thinking along the same lines... The Duke cannot divorce her if she mothers his child... She cannot conceive, but she will try to steal yours... The baby has to be a lawful heir for her to stay the Duchess... _She likes money_!" She yawned again, and Old Sae spoke from the door, making Katniss jump a good five inches off the floor.

"Better get the Lady to her chambers before she falls face first on that plate of bread!" She had a wicked grin on her face, like she would rather see that happening instead of preventing it.

"You are right Mrs. Sae. Please, would you be so kind as to call Thresh and have him escort the Lady to her rooms?"

When she had finally sorted Clove's situation out, Katniss headed to find Peeta. She thought it was time they talked to Finnick about Hagar's Law.

 

====================

 

Lunch was served in the Dining Room at One O'clock, "on the dot" Effie thrilled.

The affair was akin of a hen party; noisy, hectic and incredibly chaotic. All of the women were clucking, laughing, and talking over each other merrily and loudly. Even Cashmere and Clove had joined the group of women, after a health repairing nap... The only man in the room was Finnick Junior, who was happily sucking on his chubby hand in a basinet near his mother and Nanny Mags.

As it turned out, Peeta had decided to take all his male friends to an impromptu hunting trip. He told Katniss as they met in a hallway, both having been looking for the other, that he needed to get out, get some fresh air, and shoot something dead! She understood; she could go for a hunt as well. But, he decided he would take her shooting later on in the week, just the two of them. For now, she was playing hostess to all the women visiting their house. Some of the maids, like Rue for example, were permitted to linger and enjoy the chatter.

Katniss noticed the change in menu, as she was served chicken broth and a dish that consisted mostly of steamed vegetables and two medallion size pieces of grilled venison. The rest of the women got a similar plate except their meat portions were slightly bigger and were swimming in a delectably smelling red wine gravy. Her mother had given instructions to the kitchen staff to not feed her daughter any alcohol while expecting. The reasoning was that spirits would cause dehydration and she had already had problems with dehydration.

"I thought the alcohol would evaporate when cooked" Sae said shrugging, but obeyed all the same. In her book, that meant her Mistress would get a double serving of apple pie for dessert after supper that evening.

The mindless chattering in the dining room became more focused, theme oriented; one by one, the women would realize that somebody had said something about a Spring Ball. Then another quipped a remark about Summer dances, then another commented how long had it been since she had attended a decent Spring Ball, another suggested they organize one to be held in Winter Home. And soon the conversation shifted into ball appropriate entrees for a Spring dinner, and finger food combinations, spring color palettes that would work better to decorate the ball room in the house, in the event they did actually hold a spring ball there, and someone mentioned stationary... Soon the little comments snowballed into ideas, that ended up being discussed by all, until they had formed a 'Spring Ball Committee' of sorts, after 15 minutes, they had even chosen the type of musicians needed for the entertainment.

Then someone shrieked something about appropriate garments for a spring ball, and soon it was decided that they were all going to pay a visit to Mr. Cinna's shop that afternoon, just to see what was new. They left even before the men had returned from their hunt, just leaving a note informing Peeta of their tentative itinerary, of visiting a few shops in town.

Thus, they found themselves filing into Cinna and Portia's little boutique in the middle of Merch. News of the pregnancy of Lady Winter Home had not traveled to the rest of the populace of the district. Nobody in the house knew how the Duke's Concubine's unusual situation was going to affect the future of the Dukedom, or if the child would even have a claim to it. No one wanted to risk bringing unwanted attention to Katniss and endanger her and her baby, the legality of her pregnancy was murky at best, so the news had been kept behind sealed lips until Baron Quattro could provide with the pertinent information. The funny thing was, that none of the Help had been instructed to keep the secret; they did it out of their own goodwill, claiming that they were only protecting their own.

On the other hand, gossip about the fact that the Duchess was in Merch to stay and that her husband seemed to be more affectionate towards the younger Concubine abounded, bouncing from tongue to tongue in the small township without restraint. Many stories were told about the demise of Sir Gloss, most of them painted his sister in a unfavorable light. Others, the more distasteful people, the gossip-hungry, who would make up unsavory, repulsive comments, talked about how the Duke's bed must be full and busy these days and wondered how the man kept up with two beautiful women simultaneously. But, as Katniss and company moved from shop to shop in the small town, it was obvious the exuberant Duchess was in an uncharacteristically subdued demeanor; she looked sad even, her appearance was less lustrous than usual.

Her face was free from makeup, and although she was incredibly lovely without it, she had dark circles under her pretty green eyes which were dim and vacant. Her skin was paler than usual and her shoulders hunched slightly, making her look tired... Defeated... Sick. Just like her brother always did. This in no way persuaded the townsfolk to stop bad mouthing the woman in anyway.

As Katniss, Cashmere, Clove, Mags, Effie, Annie and Baby Finn, entered the cozy shop of the clothiers, hugs were exchanged and greetings were spoken. Mrs. Everdeen and Prim had gone to Baker's Place, to make sure they were not needed by any patients, and to prepare Tea for the Ladies, who were set to stop by after visiting Mr. Cinna's shop.

After all the pleasantries, Katniss asked the tailor and his wife if they had been introduced to her Grace, to which both of them affirmed and bowed to Cashmere, who merely gave a half-assed curtsy. Katniss giving the woman a disapproving look behind her back then went on to introduce Clove to them, who was a little more gracious as she greeted the couple, even going as far as to communicate how much she had heard of their genius and dexterous confections.

 _ **"You should see what he can do with velvet!"**_ replied Katniss grinning broadly at Mr. Cinna. It was sort of an inside joke between the two of them, as it was the only fabric Katniss knew by name, she kept asking if her dresses could be made out of it... She only had one midnight blue gown made of velvet that he made for her as a joke, but she loved it either way, and wore as much as she could before the weather got too hot for such heavy material. Mr. Cinna laughed jovially and shook his head at Lady Winter Home's cheekiness.

"I will be more than happy to show you all, distinguish ladies the latest shipment of fine silks, airy cottons, and the softest jersey we have gotten in years! Please! Follow my beautiful wife to the inner rooms, so we can show you our latest work."

The women followed Mrs. Portia promptly, full of curiosity, Clove was probably the most excited of the group; she had never owned an original trendsetting gown. Sure, she always wore couture from the most renowned designers, but her dresses were always following the current fashion, not the start of one. She was excited at the possibility of snatching an Original 'Cinna & Portia' to bring back home to the Capitol and show off to her other friends... They would all turn green with envy and die!

"So, this is the new material... Note it all is very light and soft, which means that our under garments have to be a little more structured to give the intended silhouette of the outer garment... We will try to make the undergarments from jersey when we can in order to keep everything as airy as possible." Said the seamstress, as she showed the women an impressively fat book of swatches and samples of their new materials, it had everything in it: squares of fabrics, laces, trims, borders, ribbons, buttons, sequences, zippers, threads, appliqués and every other little thing related to dress making and designing. All the women touched the samples to see how soft indeed the materials were.

Cashmere was the first one to speak, and oddly enough, she did not request anything for herself.

"I know you specialize in beautiful ladies garments, but have you ever confectioned an infant's Layette?" Her face was impassive, while Katniss felt extremely uncomfortable.

The question seem to have surprised Cinna, but his wife, the always prudent Portia, answered the question with ease and a soft reassuring smile on her pretty face.

"We do not have a particular specialty, my Lady. We have been trained to make clothes for both men and women alike. We just work with what inspires us and usually we can create a wardrobe that is especially for a particular individual, which means that although our customers are mostly adults, we indeed can create an entire collection for an whole family if we are asked to do so..."

"So... Yes? You can design and make a layette then?" Cashmere asked for confirmation, her face clean of any emotion.

"Yes, Your Grace, we most certainly can." Confirmed Cinna in his soft, calming voice, he happened to have caught the look on Katniss' face, and deduced the young woman was having a hard time with this conversation. He was unsure why and he supposed maybe the Duchess was with child by one of her many rumored lovers, and was going to pass it off as the Duke's child. He could see why this would trouble the young concubine, but then Cashmere made a request and he was left confused and a little at a loss for words.

"Excellent!" Said Cashmere at last. "Lady Winter Home, will be needing a full new wardrobe, everything must be made using the Empire waist silhouette, with very ample skirts and petticoats. You can use any colors, and materials you wish, but make sure her breasts have plenty room to expand. Also, refrain from using any harsh boning in her garments, especially corsets and bustiers... Make everything as comfortable as you can... We might visit you again in a couple of months, so I think eight gowns for the everyday, three special occasion ones, and another eight evening wear, would suffice for now..." She said in a pensive mood. Then she looked up to see that the tailor was just staring at her, his wife once more rushed in to the rescue.

"Does my lady care to repeat her order a little slower, so I can take notes? These are more pieces than Lady Katniss usually commissions" She said politely, lifting an open notebook and pen she was holding on each hand, she then smiled warmly. This a lot more pieces than Katniss had ever ordered even combining Prim's and their Mother's to hers "I was still writing about the boning... I apologize, I was trying to keep up, but my Lady sped up while I was distracted thinking about possible designs."

Cashmere rolled her eyes impatiently, before snapping in their direction. "Just take her measurements, and then we can talk business... And, I am sure the rest of our company will need measuring as well, since everyone is here for your _one of a kind_ pieces" she said almost sarcastically.

"As you wish, your Grace..." Cinna bowed, he was planning on taking Lady Katniss's measurements himself, just to have a quick private word with her, while Portia dealt with everything else, she had always been a faster thinker than he was either way. "Would you like to take a seat, while we get to work? Is there anything I could offer you for refreshments?" He offered politely, she accepted the seat gratefully, but declined the refreshments. Effie and Mags found seating next to the Duchess as well, while Portia handled the two other ladies.

Cinna brought Katniss to a small screen divide at one end of the room. He had her removed the light coat she had been wearing, and then proceeded to measured her, he had pulled open his book, were he had noted down her last measurements, for the silk yellow dress she had commission closed to a month before. He was surprised to find her bust was indeed one and a half inches larger, he took his tape and examined it closely, and he then measured again, getting the same result. The same thing happened to her hips, but still not her waist.

"Mmm... Well, my Lady... I guess I am glad you came in for a new wardrobe, as it seems, yours might start to get a little... Um... Snugly?  I am not quite sure how to put this delicately... But... If you need any clothing altered, I will be happy to fix it for you... Although, I think we might have to remake that Silk mermaid gown you were saving for your future especial occasion." He said with a small frown. Katniss smiled at him, and although he smiled back, he felt like there was something he had missed.

"I already wore the silk gown, Mr. Cinna... His Grace sent his regards, and a promise to double the payment for the next special occasion gown you make for me!" Her smiled was radiant, and she blushed slightly as her mind wandered to the night she wore the dress in question.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_Peeta, had woken up with his head lying partially on her stomach, his face was angled in a way, that the tip of his nose was touching the short coarse dark hairs at the apex of his lover's thighs. He breathed in the smell of their coupling still sticky on her, and he grew hungry once more._

_He kissed the area softly, like butterflies wings, and brought his hand to gently caress her inner thighs, which she slowly opened up to grant him better access. She was not completely awake, nor completely asleep, but, he... He, was fully awake, every part of him was._

_He took a long, sensuous lick of her thigh, and she gave a small, sighing noise, he smiled against her skin, and kissed her there. His thumb had found the little fleshy button that brought her so much pleasure, and was lightly rubbing it in slow back and forth motions, she shifted her legs with a weak moan, she was lazily coming back to consciousness, but, he liked this in between state she was in, so he crawled his way up along her body, while she stretched and yawned like a kitten; she was adorable like this, he could not stop smiling as he gazed at her._

_He loved her._

_She loved him._

_The proof of their intense feelings for each other was steadily growing deep inside of her... She had in her womb, his only direct blood relative (if you did not count the King and Prince, which he did not)_

_She was still moist from their earlier release, so when he pushed into her, he did it with relative ease. He fit snugly inside her warmth and she gasped sleepily at the intrusion, her hands quickly found his chest, letting them slide upwards, to grasp his shoulders as he moved in and out of her slowly. Her lips searched his skin, landing on his chest and shoulders repeatedly, soon she found his lips as well; they kissed for a long while, his hands roaming all over her body, while hers seemed to be obsessed with his face and hair._

_He brought his fingers back to her clit, and rubbed her languidly, until she started panting and gasping for air, he did not let up until she was thrashing uncontrollably under him. He quickened his pace as well, and in a few more strokes he grunted into the crook of her neck as his seed left his body._

_She kissed his strong shoulders, where his freckles were more visible. She really enjoyed the moments of quiet after their lovemaking, she got the chance to be closer to him, in real, deep intimacy, where time stood still and they caught their breaths, and she was able to be content with his weight covering her. She loved those times and looked forward to them._

_"Did you like that, babe?" She asked him, while her fingers played with one of his curls. He shifted his face so he was looking at her instead of the chamber around them. She did not usually call him anything other than Peeta, but, he liked the few occasions she would use a pet name for him, those were special, and he had a gallery of them in his heart._

_She was smirking down at him, when he got a good look at her face. He smiled. "I did like it... Very much, mind you."_

_"Mmm..." She stretched her arms above her head, and quickly brought them back to wrap around him. She kissed his forehead and sighed. "Good!"_

_He chuckled._

_"So, what time is it?" She asked, it was not inky dark outside, but the curtains were drawn and she could not tell if it was morning yet or not._

_"I am not sure... It is not dawn yet, but it is very close to it. I was going to go take a bath, and I was wondering if I could interest you in joining me for it?" he looked at her with huge puppy eyes, that she could not resist; she did laugh at his manipulation tactics._

_They left their bed; she was still yawning and stretching, and even rubbing her eyes sleepily. He promised her that she could go back to bed as soon as he got her cleaned up, and then he would go downstairs to make her apple and goat cheese filled pastries, so she could enjoy them for breakfast in bed. He told her she could sleep all day long if she so pleased, and for once, she felt like accepting his offer._

_But, before he could drag her to the washing room, she picked up her yellow silk dress that lay on the floor, now wrinkly, but still beautiful. He smiled, and wrapped his arms around her waist, splaying a protective hand over her stomach. He kissed her shoulder._

_"That is a beautiful gown, my love. I have never seen you wear it before... You looked stunning in it."_

_"So you liked it?" She asked with a soft smile._

_"Of course I did. The dress is a piece of art; delicate and pretty, but lifeless without you in it" he kissed her neck, and she leaned her head onto his shoulder._

_"I was hoping you would like it... I wanted you to love it, really. I had been saving it for a special occasion..." She said dreamily, he was nuzzling her neck softly, when he asked._

_"What was the occasion last night?" He deposited another soft kiss under her ear._

_"Oh... Last night, was just meant to seduce you, and convince you to have sex with me... I am happy to say the stint was successful!" She giggled, and he laughed, then he tickled her sides, and she was laughing, and trying to get away from him._

_"So, the truth comes out at last! You only want me for my body!" He said gruffly while she shrieked in laughter, as they ran around their four poster bed._

_"No!" She squealed. "I want you for your cock!" He launched at her, and they tumbled over the mattress heavily, he was on top of her, tickling her mercilessly._

_"Is that so? Well... You are on a strict diet from now on! You only get to have my cock instead of sleep!" She laughed breathlessly, and tried to push away from him, but he was straddling her, and using his weight to pin her to the bed, while his fingers grazed her ticklish spots._

_"Peeta! Please stop... I was just jesting... I want you for more than... Simple carnal... Gratification... Ugh... Stop... I will wet the bed and it will not be appealing!" She finally shouted between loud laughs, and he released her from under him. She was still laughing softly and trying to regain control of her breathing._

_"Fine! I give up!" He said, pulling her up to kiss her on the nose._

_When her legs stopped feeling like gelatin, and she could walk to the bath, she confessed the real purpose of the dress._

_"It was meant to be worn as a wedding gown," she said as she rested her chin on the arm he had extended on the rim of the tub. She was sitting forward, between his legs in the warm soapy water._

_"Wedding gown? For our wedding, you mean?" He asked as he scrubbed her back softly with a sponge._

_"Yeah..." She sighed._

_"Then, why wear it last night to seduce me? You could have done that with any clothes... Or no clothes at all! You know I cannot even resist your nightgowns" He tried to make it sound as a joke, but he was seriously curious. She sighed again._

_"I am with child, Peeta... How long do you think, I will maintain my newly acquired womanly shape? My body will change... Grow grotesquely, get fat and unattractive, I will not possess the body of an eighteen year old lass past my fifth month of gestation..." She turned to face him, her eyes filling with unshed tears, and he frowned at her distressed. "I never thought I would care about my physical appearance at all... I certainly never had before, but... I am so worried that I will get so grossly overweight, you will not find me attractive anymore, and then you would not want to even touch me, and then you will tire of me, and my ugliness, you will change your mind and withdraw your marriage proposal... And you will only tolerate me, because of your child, and then what if that witch Cashmere gets her way, and steals the child from me? you will not have to even tolerate me anymore..."_

_"Sweetheart stop right there!" He said firmly, a grimace on his face, he cupped a soapy hand to her damped chin. "Sweetie, although your amazing and exotic hourglass shape has me drooling and panting like a dog every time I catch sight of you, and I truly enjoy watching your rear end when you walk away from me, I will never, ever be grossed out by your appearance when you start to round out. On the contrary, I cannot wait to see how big you get; I cannot wait to see your stomach swell with our child, because that would mean that we have a healthy little human growing inside of you... How could I ever lose interest in the woman that has given me the best gift of all... An heir!" He framed her face in his hands, and kissed her lips sweetly, before continuing. He then turned her around to her previous position sitting between his legs, her back to his chest, and lovingly started to caress her hips under water._

_"I do love how curvaceous you are, but this..." He started to make circular motions over her hips and upper thighs, "and this..." He brought his hands to palm her breasts gently, squeezing them ever so slightly, "Came as a result of our baby, and will most likely stay for the rest of your life, and that is a beautiful thing! Yes, your body is changing quite rapidly, but I love it, because it is working extra hard to form and nurture and protect our child, and then it will go to very extremely painful lengths to give birth and give life to a new person, and then it will go on to manufacture the food that our little human will consume... Why darling, your body is the most perfect work of art I have ever set eyes upon, and I will love it through every transformation!" He kissed her shoulders, and she shivered._

_"But... It is not fair..." She whined, "I finally start looking like a woman, instead of a prepubescent boy, and I will not get to show off any of my... Assets!" She pouted Motioning a hand towards her own body; He laughed._

_"My dear, I am completely alright with you not showing your assets to eyes other than mine! Since your beautiful body belongs to me and our baby, I think you need to worry not about showing off... I enjoy everything I see, immensely!" He kissed the side of her head, and she giggled._

_"You are saying that because you do not want the neurotic pregnant woman to get upset at you! I am on to you, sir!" She turned around and straddled him. He laughed at her words, and kissed her lips sweetly, placing his hands on her lower back as she rested her elbows on his shoulders and clasp one upper arm in her opposite hand._

_"You are neurotic! I am glad you are aware of it!" He said removing her damp hair from the side of her neck and shoulder he was trying to kiss._

_"Yeah... Well... You know what will reassure me you are not grossed out by my appearance?"_

_"Uh-uh" He denied with a shake of his head, he looked into her grey eyes, molten and swirling with want for him... She was slowly grinding against him, rubbing the harden peaks of her nipples against his hard chest, his member started twitch and swell. He had an idea of what would it take to demonstrate he was not at all appalled by her, but, he was going to let her take matters into her own hands. He nibbled on one if her nipples, and she arched her back into his mouth gasping._

_"I think you know exactly how to show me you are attracted to me..." She mewled. "You just keep... Ahh..." His fingers found her entranced. "Yessss... Like that... You keep showing me you still want me, mmmmm... And I will keep the crazy to a minimum... I swear!" She was full on riding his fingers by now. He brought her to completion before bringing her body to slide down his hard member, and taking her fast and not very gentle while their bath water splashed everywhere. She still had doubts and insecurities, but he was very good at erasing them from her mind with sweet words, lots of kisses and delectable orgasms._

_"Your body is amazing, darling... Nothing short of a miracle on its own right! It is creating the life of my only blood relation... I will worship it to end of my earthly days! Never doubt that!" He said when his seed had finally coated her insides, warm and thick._

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Mrs. Portia, knocked on one wooded beam of the divide before slipping in behind it, to find that her husband was measuring the length of the skirts; since the cut was specifically asked to be empire waist, the skirts would be longer than what he had jotted down months previously. She smiled warmly at Katniss, before whispering,

"Her Grace will be footing the bill for the entire party today..." She eyed the younger woman, studying her reaction to the news. Katniss was surprised, but not entirely shocked.

"Even whatever Lady Odair has commissioned?" She asked equally quiet. The seamstress nodded with a big smile.

"The Duchess seems to be in a particularly generous mood today, she asked for a couple of pieces for the little Master Odair as well; although I am convinced it is more to test our abilities at infant clothing than for the graciousness of giving." The both women giggled, and Mr. Cinna gave them a stern look.

"You are aware that this divide will only keep privacy from sight and not from hearing, right?" He said in a low whisper with an eyebrow raised, but then bursted out laughing as well, he tried to muffle his laughter behind his hands, succeeding for the most part.

"Now, my Lady... Pardon my intrusion, and know that you are in your right to refuse to answer my impertinent questions, but... How far along are you?" Portia said after taking a peek at the newly recorded measurements. Cinna shifted his sight to his wife, who was biting her lip guiltily. ' _Well, she should feel guilty!'_ Cinna thought, ' _That is none of our business, to meddle in this nice girl's life'_

But, Katniss actually beamed. "I am about two months far!" She whispered as if sharing a secret, which, she truly was. "What gave it away?" Cinna looked at his notes, and then at his wife, the woman took a longing gaze as she smiled at Katniss. They had been married for closed to three years now, and she has still not conceived yet, they had indeed visited Mrs. Everdeen, to seek her counsel about fertility poultices and teas, they were playing the waiting game now.

"Besides the Duchess buying you a whole wardrobe of the go to pregnancy style dress, inquiring about a baby's layette and then announcing that she will also make a stop at the cobblers to put an order in for comfortable flats for you, my lady?" Katniss' cheeks grew pink, "Well, the change in measurements was also a giveaway." She said in a more subdued voice. "But, I understand your need to conceal your condition, it is not very common to have a concubine conceive, and I do not know the ramifications of your case, but..."

"We will do our very best, to provide you with comfort through our work, my lady." Cinna finished his wife's sentence solemnly. "And... I guess congratulations are in order! I am very glad for you and the Duke... I can see you are glad, my Lady, which is very good!"

"Thank you!" Katniss said gratefully at the couple, both of them smiled at her "I am very happy, actually!" And she realized, she was honestly happy, beneath all the reservations and fears, she was glad she was with child, with Peeta's child!

"Oh! That is so great, my Lady!" Portia embraced her quickly, then released her, "Well, dear, if you are done with the Lady... We do not want to make _Her Grace_ wait too long; she seems to be getting irritable the longer she sits!" Portia told her husband, and the both women giggled again.

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking out the door, with a promise to get all their clothing sent to Winter Home, and Sea Breeze in the case of the Baroness, in two weeks’ time. Although the baby's clothes, for young Master Odair, were to be brought to Cashmere to inspect, before she sent them to Quattro. She did however chose the materials she expected to be used for the layette, going as far as to pay a big sum of Coin right then, without even knowing what she would be commissioning from them, she just wanted them to set the fabrics aside for now.

They walked the two blocks to the shoe shop, and only when they were standing a foot away from the main entrance, did Cashmere realized who the cobbler was.

"Oh... Fuck, no... Not that pasty-faced, insipid Delly Cartwright!" She huffed, Katniss stopped in her tracks, and turned to look at the Duchess quizzically. "What? The woman is a two face, fake, jealous bitch that cannot take a hint! She has been after Peter since she was a chubby little preteen, with awful acne and frizzy curly hair! She always pretended to be this bubbly, happy thing, until she realized someone was looking at Peter appreciatively..." She defended herself, and then she defended her last statement, "I might not like Peter and actually hate his guts, but, I am not blind to his many attributes, I did marry him after all! And I was not going to marry a man that looked like underside of cow!" She said remind everyone she was still a twenty-six year old girl, and not an actual witch stealing a young girl's body.

Annie's lips twitched, hiding her amusement, and Katniss actually just stared dumbfounded, and only blinked when Clove laughed softly. Effie coughed a little, pretending to clear her throat, 

"My Lady, I suggest you release all the impropriety out here, and act as a person of your standing should when we go into the establishment." Effie said stiffly. "After all, the Cartwright's are the only shoe makers in Merch."

"I yelled at the bitch, the last time I saw her up close..." Katniss muttered under her breath, this was directed at Cashmere shyly, who gave her a proud and approving nod, "Then, I..."

"Then you pretty much ate Peeta's face right in front of her and the rest of the attendees!" cackled Annie with much glee interrupting Katniss story. "I remember it like it was just yesterday... Ahhh... It was the high point of my night!" She said with a huge malevolent grin, then kissed her son's chubby cheek, and marched into the store, smiling broadly at a very disgruntled looking Delly. Katniss smiled mildly at the memory while her cheeks burned scarlet. 

"Good girl!" Said Cashmere with a genuine grin of her face, "I hope she got an eyeful!"

When everyone was in the store, Mags' garbled speech said that she would take baby Finn to sit outside the store, as the smell of shoe glue, leather dyes and waxes was a little strong and made the infant fussed and sneezed.

"Hello Ladies... How can I serve you this fine day?" said Delly behind a smile that tried too hard to veil her contempt for her costumers. The tension was so thick it was making Katniss sick.

"Good afternoon, Miss Cartwright. I could not help but noticed Mr. Cartwright is not here with you, will he take long? I wish to thank him for the last repairs he did for my mother's shoes." Said Katniss politely, she was desperate to see Devlin, and endure his little flirting interactions, if just to not have to talk to Delly anymore. Plus, Devlin had gotten so much better at keeping his distance, since she introduced him to Leevy.

"Oh... No... My dear brother is running errands, which is good, as it will not do for him to keep getting... Distracted!" Delly said passive-aggressively, eyeing Katniss accusatorially. "But, I see, My Lord, has a full house... with Her Grace in town, I wonder if my Lord the Duke has any time to play house with..."

"Miss Cartwright, I am here to ensure my husband's concubine is well looked after, is that not right, Lady Katniss?" said Cashmere in a silky but authoritative voice. Katniss was taken aback, as so far Cashmere had refused to call her anything other than Miss Everdeen; she nodded stupidly, before regaining her wits, and turning to give Delly a smirk. She opened her mouth with a comeback remark ready to sting, when a female voice she recognized at once, and made her fill with excitement, chimed in from the entryway.

"Holy shit! This is just bizarre! It is like walking into your own little harem, Peeta!" The unmistakable lexicon and boisterous ways of Dame Mason filled the space just under the archway to the cobbler's shop; Katniss looked up in merriment as her friend walked in more fully, but her joy died fast as Johanna could not stop the crude remarks just yet. "Why there are only three women in this very room you have not fucked! You must be concealing an amazing dick under those hunting trousers my friend!"

"Dame Mason!" Gasped Effie outraged, but her cried was largely ignored and covered by Peeta's angry hissed.

"Johanna!" He widen his eyes at his friend warning her to shut it, while she cackled loudly not even caring that Peeta's ex-partners and his current one had been simmering in the same uncomfortable thoughts for a while. Only Annie looked amused, Delly looked like she could kill each and every one of the other women in her shop. Cashmere who was pretending to be indifferent was clearly annoyed, and Peeta did not dare look at Katniss; he knew for a fact, hell would have to be paid for this later on.

Clove interrupted the awkward standoff, by asking Cashmere, innocently, who the woman was and what was she talking about.

"Johanna!" Katniss rushed to embrace her friend, regardless of her very inappropriate comment; she would yell at her later, for now, she was just happy to see her there, and she was wondering what had brought about this surprise visit.

"Hiya Brainless! So good to see you!" said Dame Mason pulling her friend in for a very tight hug.

Meanwhile, Cashmere's explanations of who was who, and why, what was said, carried around the enclosed space, making everyone painfully aware of everyone else.

"Well, that is Dame Johanna Mason, you have heard of her, the only woman knight in the kingdom. She is one of his Grace's oldest friends, along with the Quattros, she was Madge's best friend growing up, and apparently she has adopted Miss Everdeen as new best friend, more recently. About the other thing, you can guess who and what she was talking about... It is self-explanatory, really... _You_ have not fucked Peter; neither has Lady Trinket, and you can deduced by her comment, who is the one other woman in this room he has not bed besides you two..." Clove looked around the room, to find everyone's eyes trained on them, huddled together whispering, badly, to each other. Her eyes finally came to rest on Lady Odair, who simply smiled and wiggled her fingers at her in salutation.

Annie giggled, as if it was a big joke. Peeta looked so uncomfortable; he just wanted to get out of there. He grunted in annoyance.

"Cut it out, would you? All of you! This is not amusing at all!" He snapped angrily at the women who had mutinous looks on their faces of their own, after his outburst.

"Gladly!" muttered Katniss equally unhappy.

"Oh, Peet... Live a little... Smile! It is all water under the bridge!" whispered Annie with a soft smile gracing her pretty face. Clove still looked at all the women, and their different degrees of animosity towards each other.

"Are you ready here Katniss? Dame Mason has brought news from the Capitol that is of interest to her Grace and Lady Clove as well. Plus all the men are already waiting at Baker's Place for tea." Peeta semi growled morosely, looking straight into Katniss' eyes.

"Oh... Well... My Lord, we are here for her Grace, truth be told." She said looking nervously at the Duchess. But, Cashmere gave the couple a curious look; usually, in her observations the Duke was the one that bent to maid's will, but, apparently, power was wielded in reverse all the same, he seem to be the dominant half to their unit at the moment, as the concubine submissively let go of Dame Mason and came to stand in front of the Duke, eyes furtively looking back at the Duchess, maybe asking for support? "But, if you think it best, we can leave now and return  another time?" She was now openly looking back at Cashmere, who only shrugged her shoulders.

"I will only take five minutes, my Lord, but you can send Lady Odair and Lady Clove ahead, if you please." Peeta looked at her suspiciously, but nodded.

"I will stay and escort you two, if that is alright." He said, not really asking for acceptance of his offer.

"If you must!" She simply retorted with a small roll of her eyes. 

When it was clear Cashmere's intentions were to commission several pairs of low or flat shoes for Katniss, they started bickering about it. He did not want her buying anything for Katniss, and she insisted that it was her right and duty to do so, as if Katniss was their small child, which finally pissed her off enough to yell at the both of them.

"Would you please stop? You are giving me a headache, along with a quickening pulse, that cannot be healthy for me at the moment!" This got both their attention, they stopped staring daggers at each other for a moment, to look at her guiltily, and they made her sit down, and started dotting on her... again... as if she was their little child. Delly had just been silently observing the interactions; she was confused by a lot of things, mainly at how possessive the Duke was acting over the concubine, and how oddly solicitous the Duchess was to her husband's teenaged mistress.

"Peeta, I suggest you let Her Grace buy whatever she wants to buy... It is her prerogative, plus, it seems to make her happy... I just want to get this over with, so I can go have something to eat, because quite frankly, I am very hungry and thirsty, and I want to lay down for a few minutes, before our trip back Home..." Delly barely heard the younger woman whispered, and was surprised at the familiarity she was allowed to used when addressing her master, and the fact the Duchess seemed to mind at all.

"Lady Katniss! I heard you were in town!" Came the excited voice of Devlin, effectively interrupting Delly's puzzlement. Peeta frowned. The younger man came from behind the counter, and bowed deeply to his costumers. "Your Graces! Such a pleasure to be of service to you both." He said smiling at the Duke and Duchess; Cashmere did not lose time in giving him an appraising look-over and returning his smile in a flirty manner while batting her eyelashes at the handsome youth. Peeta only shook his head unperceptively. The cobbler kissed Cashmere's knuckles and she curtsied to him. He then shook Peeta's hand, and lastly he bowed to the sitting Katniss, holding her hand delicately to his lips, the kiss was barely there and he released her hand quickly. This still made Peeta squirm in his spot and both Cashmere and Delly kept their eyes fixed on the Duke, studying his reaction.

They finally settled on an order that left neither Peeta nor Cashmere happy, he allowed her to pay for the shoes, but she could only commissioned two pairs instead of the twenty she had envisioned. As they were about to leave the shop, Devlin approached them again, and handed Katniss the coat she had taken off when she entered the store. His parting words left an impact.

Staring intently at Katniss he said, "I never thought your beauty could ever be improved, my Lady, but I am proven wrong... You seem to be glowing, and it is very becoming on you, Lady Katniss!" He then tore his sight from the blushing lady that suddenly found the hem of her gown very interesting, and Peeta put and arm around her middle, hand splayed over her stomach, claiming her and her hidden cargo not at all subtlety. The young cobbler looked at Peeta next and gave him a sincere smile, clearly not bothered by the dominance display, "Congratulations, My Lord, you truly are a lucky man! We all rejoice in your good news!" Peeta felt somewhat like an idiot, but he nodded and thanked the man softly. He did not remove his arm from its position, until they reached his awaiting coach. He looked back at the shop, and saw Delly questioning her brother, but then turned to find a reproachful look in Cashmere's face.

"What?" He said harshly. She just shook her head. When Katniss was seated inside the carriage, Cashmere put a hand on Peeta's chest to get his attention.

"You might be a Duke, but that boy seemed to be more civil than you were... It truly is a miracle so many women foam at the mouth for you! I suggest you stop acting like an ass... She is yours Peter... She is carrying your child, what else is there to be jealous about?" She spat, and directed her attention out the window of the shop, catching Delly staring with a deep frown, Peeta then helped her up into the car, thus ending the conversation. Peeta would not let go of Katniss' hand the whole ride to Baker's Place, even when she tried to slip out of his clutch. Cashmere just looked out her window ignoring him; he sensed that both women were unhappy at his behavior of late. He knew it was silly, but he could not help the need to be touching Katniss, asserting his claim on her, maybe Johanna was right and this was his own little harem... He needed to feel like he was the alpha male lion of this pride, and his favorite lioness, the one he needed to keep completely for his own, was the one who's hand he had been strangling for the past five minutes. She was his... She was carrying his child... He could not help the feeling of possession, as wrong as it was; he knew deep down, she did not belong to him as if she was an object. Cashmere was right; he needed to stop acting like a possessive ass.

Back at the shoe shop, Delly kept grilling Devlin relentlessly. She had no idea what news her brother had been talking about, and it irritated her beyond belief that there could be something important happening in Peter Mellark's life, that she was not privy to. Devlin, though, only smiled, and retorted good-naturedly,

"Do not insist in asking dear sister, my lips are sealed until the Duke himself makes the announcement. But, the news is indeed good, so be happy for his Grace!"

"And how would you have come across any information about the good fortune of his Grace, if it is kept secret? Pray tell me, brother?" She snapped.

"Oh... The information came from my sweetheart, the beautiful Leevy. But, even if you were nice to her, I doubt she would confide in you. The people from Winter Home will never betray their masters' secrets to people that are not to be trusted with secrets... You, dear Delly are a blabbermouth, and not at all reliable to keep anything to yourself, so... You will have to wait for the news like the rest of the town!" with that, he smiled smugly and left the front of the shop to rearranged all the materials he would need to start working on the Duchess' order.

 

=====================

 

Mrs. Everdeen had set up tea to be served out in the gardens, as the party had grown double in size, with the men joining the ladies and the surprise arrival of Dame Mason. Thankfully, Old Sae had anticipated this little snag in the plan and had sent food and pastries with Rue and Bristel, along with Baby Finn's little basinet. Everything was so well received and much appreciated.

The back patio was in full bloom, the sun was starting its slow descend, in the midafternoon, and it was warming the terra-cotta tiles that made the ample back deck. All the trees around were full of green leaves, colorful blossoms, and many birds that chirped and hopped from branch to branch watching the squirrels scurry away curiously. The weather was wonderful, and the spring breeze filled everyone's lungs with the sweet aroma of magnolias that permeated the grounds.

"Perfect conditions for a picnic!" pointed out Mr. Latier astutely.

"Certainly, my esteemed friend, and I thank the wonderful Mrs. Everdeen for her generosity in allowing us to come visit, I am aware that you and Miss Everdeen could have refused to have us!" said Peeta in his must gentleman like voice. Mrs. Everdeen only smiled, and said nothing. While Prim snorted behind her cloth napkin, muttering loud enough for Peeta to hear her and give her one of his now expected irritated looks.

"Oh, yes, because we have a say if the rightful owner of the house decided to come out for tea in his own back yard!" Haymitch laughed at the sarcastic remark with glee, until his eye let a merry tear drop. Johanna had joined in with the Earl's laughter, and even Thom was smiling.

"I fail to find the hilarity in the comment!" muttered Peeta starting to get ticked off.

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior, My Lord" Mrs. Everdeen said staring daggers at Prim, who mainly shrugged and threw a morsel of bread at Buttercup who had been prowling around waiting for anything to fall off of the tables, he had really grown into the ugliest cat alive, but the way both, Prim and Thom looked at him, one could think they were gazing at the most precious thing to ever walked the earth.

"Not to worry, ma'am. Miss Everdeen and I have an understanding" he said grimly, and she smiled sweetly at him, and then winked at him. The blond was terrible trouble, the good thing, was that she would not be his problem in two years’ time anymore... She would be Thom's problem then, this thought made him smile smugly back at her, and as they had by now perfected their silent sight language, she immediately narrowed her eyes in his direction and dropped her smile. She grew grumpy afterwards.

"Jerk!" She mouthed at him, she did not know what exactly he was thinking, but she knew it made him happy and it was at her expense. He raised his tea cup at her and drained his beverage.

After Cashmere had tried to serve some cookies to Haymitch, and failed at a conversation with the man, she fell silent, and stopped eating. She was eying Johanna, who also seemed to be done with her food, and was now chatting in hushed voices with Rue and Prim. Peeta turned to look at Katniss, who was breaking a cracker and throwing the pieces at the squirrels and birds close to her. He found Finnick's eye, and the Baron motioned with his head to a gazebo in the very back of the yard. It was his cue.

"Very well, if her Grace, Dame Mason, and Lady Katniss are all done, Lords Abernathy and Odair, will like a private word... We promise we will not be long, Mrs. Everdeen! I leave you in the capable hands of Lady Trinket." He said standing up. Everyone either bowed or curtsied and Peeta brought his small assembly to the gazebo which was only big enough for about ten people at a time, so they were not totally smashed together in the bower.

"Dame Mason has brought news from the Capitol, as I had mentioned earlier." He said without preamble. "We will discuss our options at length later on during the week, before Dame Mason is expected to return to her duties in the Royal Palace." He said giving Johanna a look. She took her turn speaking.

"We have finally gotten word from a possible hideout of Lord Crane. The sources were being confirmed when I left the Capitol this morning." She paused for a moment, "They hope to capture the man, and bring him to the palace for interrogation soon enough. If everything points towards a trial against Lord Crane for the crime of murdering a Knight of his Majesty the King, then Her Grace and Lady Collins will be called as witnesses for the prosecution." Cashmere swallowed hard, and fought her tears fiercely. Johanna continued. "Depending on how the trial goes, Lord Crane will most likely be thrown in the dungeons for the rest of his life, but there is also a chance that Her Grace could ask for capital punishment, and send the man to the gallows." The next pause was a pregnant one. No one said anything until Katniss spoke.

"I think My Lady, should take some time to think about what she wants... This is the man that murdered her brother under the duress of grief, for the loss of his only child. I know his actions have no excuse and no forgiveness, but, I also doubt that Lady Crane would be too happy with her Father's uncertain fate... If anything, I believe, Her Grace should talk this over with Lady Clove, as they have been in this terrible trial together from the beginning and this concerns her as well." Katniss's eyes were fully on Cashmere’s; the latter nodded absently, thinking her options over and then sitting down on a bench.

"Her Grace, is free to return to her abode in the Capitol whenever she pleases, I understand Lady Clove Collins has asked for protection over Her Grace's person, I am here to assure you, my Lady, that you would be provided with a Peacekeeper at all times in your residence, and another to escort you whilst you leave your house for any reason. Of course, her Grace is welcome to decline this detail if she so prefers. We hope to capture Lord Crane and bring him to justice in shortly... Believe me, my Lady, that man killed one of our own... His capture is our number one priority!" said Johanna firmly. Cashmere looked at her, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she nodded gratefully. It was a relief the death of her brother was not being ignored, and it his murder will not go unpunished.

"The second set of news I bring is from the Prince and King, and it concerns Lady Winter Home and Miss Everdeen." said Johanna grimly. Katniss' eyes snapped back at her friend's, and she could see in her periphery vision, Peeta's face growing hard and angry.

"What do they want now? I thought that their pursuit would cease, now that there is no urgency to act!" Haymitch spat. He was not very happy either. Cashmere looked at him longingly, it occurred to her that he was aware of their familial ties with the Everdeens, and of course he was emotionally invested in the young women now.

"On the contrary, my Lord. The King seems hell bent, on marrying the Prince off ensuring an heir for the chain of succession. As of now, only two people have a legitimate claim to the throne of Panem, and neither of them have an heir of their own!" said Johanna.

"Not true! My husband and his Concubine have conceived, if the child is male we would hold that chain of succession alive!" Said Cashmere in harsh defiance, Johanna's eyes widened and then narrowed, her face turned bright red with rage and, she lost her composure instantly.

"What?" She screeched as she whirled around to face her friend. "How could you be so stupid Peeta Mellark, you bastard?" She jumped him, and it was a sight to watch Peeta who towered a good foot and half above the petite Johanna Mason, cower away from her. "How could you be so careless? How could you get her pregnant? Answer me!" She was frantically looking around for some kind of weapon to hit him with, and both Finnick and Haymitch had to jump in to subdue her. Katniss was beyond pissed off by her friend's reaction, and was currently yelling at her to calm down and listen, every eye was now fixed on the gazebo. Cashmere had just jumped out of the structure, and stood frozen behind a wooden beam, ' _These people really did not like the fact that the Concubine is expecting a child! What a strange bunch!'_

Johanna calmed down enough to listen to reason. Katniss did the honors as she still sent very dangerous glances at Peeta.

"It is not Peeta's fault! He is not to blame for this unexpected turn of events... And if you care to ask about me and my child later, then I will be completely elated to tell you about the gory details of the blessing that is feeling sick, hungry and flatulent at all hours of the day... Now, please, finish telling us, what else is going on in the King's sick mind?" She said firmly. Johanna only lifted her chin, still not ready to forgive Peeta for his stupidity and carelessness, but gave her full report nonetheless, under the searching stares of Finnick and Haymitch.

The King was going to wait a period of ninety days, before resuming the hunt for a suitable bride for the Prince. He was broadening the spectrum of the search to include certain peasants, whereas before only maidens of noble birth could be considered as potential royal brides,  he was also overheard saying that he was looking into certain laws concerning the parameters and requirements, to be observed by the crown when looking for a consort. The rumor was that he was looking to abolish the impediment of a wedding between the Prince and a woman who had known another man's bed, and even adjust the acceptable minimum age the potential bride had to be. Also,  rumors stated, he seemed intent on taking a certain Primrose Everdeen as the new princess. Katniss felt bile rise up in her throat.

"It seems, though, that the King is personally very interested in the Everdeen sisters, in Katniss specifically. But, the rumors get more strange and murkier than that." Johanna said, letting her eyes make a fast sweep. "The King is looking to wed and have more children, and now that they possess the knowledge of how to terminate an infant before it is even born, I doubt being with child will keep Katniss very safe. The King is growing paranoid, my Lords... the Prince is growing restless and unhappy, most of us Knights, are afraid that one will soon poisoned the other and then we will have chaos in our hands."

"Do you really think the King will cross his son? I am not so convinced about that. Although, I do believe Cato capable of betraying his father... I will not allow them to touch Katniss while the baby is in her womb! The child needs to be protected at all costs!" said Cashmere taking a stand in the archway of the gazebo.

"And then what Cashmere? And then they can have her? Is that your brilliant plan? Let her give birth and hand her over to those criminals? Well, no! Neither them, nor you can have the woman I love! Their hands are stained with the blood of the woman you loved! How could you even think of handing them another innocent woman to defile?" Peeta was beside himself, but he kept his voice low enough it did not call the attention of the rest of their company who had turned to other things in the gardens.

"Of course not! I will not let Cato near another helpless innocent maid... specially my own kin! But, we have to be realistic, the King will have his way! He always does!" Cashmere countered angrily. 

"Your kin? That is rich coming from you!" Peeta spat back, their faces were so close to each other they would seem like about to kiss, if the animosity between them had not been so palpable.

"Just shut up!" Katniss stood up in the middle of the gazebo, breathing hard and at the verge of tears. "I am right here! In case you have not noticed! I can hear you both, and I am not some kind of prize, or a child, or a possession! You cannot fight over me, or my baby! And unless you stop the pettiness and start working together, there will be no me and no baby, to protect, because at this very instant, I am afraid that if the King really wants me, odds are I will end up the same way poor Lady Crane did, because I will not allow my body or that of my sister's to fall into the royal claws of those animals!" With that she turned around and stomped away. Peeta was about to rush after her, but Haymitch stopped him with an arm across his torso.

"Leave her be, boy... Sweetheart needs to stay away from the both of you for a few moments." He said gruffly. "She is right, we need to concentrate in keeping her and Sunshine away from those bastards until something happens" he said critically.

"But... Someone needs to go calm her down... Reassure her... It is not healthy for her to be this angry..." started Cashmere, she looked anxious but knew she would do neither calm her nor reassure her if she were to follow Katniss. She was not trusted and she was painfully aware of that.

"Johanna..." Finnick said quietly and motioned towards Katniss who was still in plain view. "Go!"

"I just hope she wants to talk to me..." But she was already jogging after her.

"You two... Fix it!" Said Haymitch harshly and took off in the direction of the patio and the rest of their party. After a soft grimace, Finnick followed him, leaving the Duke and Duchess alone.

They were silent for a while. Peeta sighed and sat on a bench, his eyes were fixed on Katniss and Johanna.

"I am in love with her Cashmere... truly and deeply, in love with her. More even than I was when I was her age... As much as the guilt  pains me to admit it." He said softly.

"I know how you feel... It was the same with Glimmer... That did not stop me from being petty... And today I saw my actions reflected in yours at that shoe shop... I know your motives are completely opposite to what mine were... Where I was jealous she was having another person's child, you are merely trying to reaffirm that what is growing inside her, belongs to you as well. I understand Peter, but... Do not be an idiot; she knows what this child means to you... Have you noticed she very seldom refers to the child as _'My_ ' child?" Cashmere said quietly, Peeta made a face with both confusion and uneasiness, she continued making her point "It is usually ' _The_ ' child, or ' _Your_ ' child when talking to you, ' _His Grace's_ ' child when talking to others. I think, she feels that she is merely carrying it for you and not that she is actually the baby's mother." Peeta frowned, it was not that he had not noticed this, it was just that having Cashmere of all people pointing this out to him, made it more troublesome and real. But as if noticing his uneasiness, she quickly added "I heard her tell the tailors she was with child today..." She said guiltily "I was standing close to the divide hiding her from the rest of the room... She sounded proud, happy even. I have seen her caress her belly absently when she thinks no one is watching her... She loves the child, but I think she is trying to distance herself from it, maybe it is my fault, I keep saying that I want the kid for my own, but maybe it is to protect herself for sure heartbreak... She is not your wife, and if this child gets the name Mellark, there is a big chance she will lose him or her at some point."

"Well, that is ridiculous... My child will not lose his or her mother..." He sighed "Cashmere, you have to know by now, I want a divorce, I want _her_ , I want to _marry_ her..." He looked at her; surprisingly she shed a tear, and nodded.

"I know, Peter... I just... I cannot give you that, especially now." She said quietly.

"I will give you anything you want, Coin, houses, carriages, livestock... Anything, you just name it!" He pleaded.

"Is not about wealth anymore, Peter..." She said in irritation "I have no family of my own left... Except for the Everdeens of course." She smiled sadly. "But... They want nothing to do with me... Just like Haymitch, who used to be the only man that truly loved me, because after a while even Gloss saw me as his personal coin purse... I do not blame the Everdeens though..." She breathed in heavily "I do not want her to go to the King... or to Cato... That was not my intended meaning earlier" Cashmere said softly, playing with the hem of the sleeves of her dress.

"Then what was it, Cashmere? Because from what I know of you, you can care less about what happens to other people!" Peeta said rubbing his face with both his hands.

"I do care for her..." She started and saw his face contort "I am not in love with her Peter, I just care for her. She has been nice to me and Clove, even when we have been horrible to her. She is my cousin after all."

"Being somebody's cousin did not stop you from developing feelings before."

"I was fourteen! Madge was the only person that gave a shit about me and tried to actually do something to fix my sad existence! Of course I loved her! But, since I met and lost Glimmer, I have realized that I am a selfish lover, I know that now." She said wrapping her arms around her middle, pacing aimlessly inside the gazebo. "You are a semi selfish lover as well, do not become like me!"

"Did you give Cato the herbs to get rid of Glimmer's child?" He asked bluntly, and she just looked at him as if she could not believe his question.

"No! He did ask me, but... I told him I only knew how to prevent children, not how to terminate one. I am not sure I convinced him, but, he never asked again. I was hoping he had given it up, and then... I had to hold her hand during the really painful moments, Peter... The way she twisted in pain, the way she would cry out and sob... I will never be able to erase the images from my mind." She breathed in heavily. "I loved her so much; I would have never caused her such a terrible pain. Miscarrying was both emotionally and physically painful, never in my life would I would inflict that pain in a woman for revenge or otherwise. I do not want Katniss to suffer."

"Well, we can agree on that, then" he said calmly, she nodded. "I still want a divorce, I still will find a way to marry her" He warned.

She nodded, and sighed deeply, "I know, Peter... I will still fight to stay your wife and part of this baby's life"

 

====================

 

"Look Finn, look at the pretty Mockingjays!" cooed Annie softly into her son's chubby cheek.

"Mockingjays are not particularly pretty; their plumage is black with little touches of white, my Lady... Very dull for a bird" Said Clove looking up at the low branches Annie had been pointing at. "Now if you tell the little Master that _**mockingjays are funny birds that can replicate both bird whistles and human melodies. They mimic a range of human vocal sounds**_... that, my lady, would be a more accurate description of the birds"

"Mockingjays do not just mimic voices, my lady," said Prim knowledgeably.

"They _**could recreate songs. Not just a few notes, but whole songs with multiple verses, if you had the patience to sing them and if they liked your voice**_ " piped up Rue, and immediately fell silent out of shame for speaking out of turn, when Clove fixed her with a disdainful look; this only caused Prim to get angry on behalf of her friend, so she haughtily asked the maid to demonstrate.

"My sister and father used to play with the birds; they had the effect to make them sing back to them, I have not seen that in many years." She looked at her friend for a moment, "But Rue here has a way with whistling! Care to show us how is done?" She smiles at the maid.

"Come young Rue! I know you have a very pretty voice!" encouraged Finnick with a smile, as he put an arm around his wife's shoulders. Rue seemed to get a bit of courage; she gave Prim a look and Prim nodded enthusiastically.

"Go ahead Rue! Show us!"

"Alright!" The girl smiled brightly at Prim, and whistled a simple four note melody. "Now you Miss Prim!" She said shyly. Prim did not hesitate as she whistled a slightly different four note tune.

The birds came a little closer and cocked their heads back and forth listening, while the two friends whistled their four note tunes at each other; after a minute or so, Clove smirked triumphantly and was about to open her mouth to make some sarcastic remark, when the two girls stopped the whistling, and the birds picked up the tunes. The sound was a pleasant orchestration of deep and full sounds, forming a song that the birds sang collectively.

Annie clapped. "Oh, that was just beautiful!" The song went on for about five minutes before it floated away into the distance. "Can I try it?" She asked almost bouncing, and the younger maids giggled, and nodded their heads in unison. They started their whistling again, and the birds did not disappoint. They tried more intricate bits, and were rewarded with beautiful Mockingjay songs. Baby Finnick was babbling happily and the birds even pick up the sound of his giggles and gurgles.

"What are you doing to those poor birds?" Asked Cashmere standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face. Clove had been actually enjoying herself joining in with the making of the tunes, so had Finnink and Thom.

Everyone looked a little disconcerted at the Duchess, and Clove rushed to defend their fun. "We were just having a little mockingjay concert... They were graciously taking suggestions... Would you like to join, my Lady?" She asked hopefully.

"Ugh... No! I am not going to disgrace my moniker with whistles like an amateur." She said and deliberately walked to the tree that was heavy with the birds, she stood next to the lowest branch, and extended her arm, in no time at all a mockingjay chick chirped and hopped onto her index finger, and she sang.

 

" _Sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_High above me,_

_Oh, sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_High above..."_

 

Her voice was sweet and clear and full of tenderness, all the people in the patio just sat with mouths wide open and eyes wide with surprise, rumors that Cashmere had damaged her vocal cords and could never sing were very common knowledge, so it was a shock to see and hear her beautiful voice.

 

" _Oh, sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_high above..."_

 

 

Another voice joined her song, equally lovely, only a touch higher, Mrs. Everdeen, who was walking towards the Duchess with an open smile, pulling a dumbfounded looking Prim by the hand, until they were standing in front of Cashmere.

 

" _Sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Oh, Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet... mockingjay..."_

 

Mrs. Everdeen extended her hand and the baby bird hopped onto her hand, she quickly brought the bird to Prim, who was flabbergasted looking at her mother sing with the odious Duchess, her eyes were so big, they would be popping out soon, she nevertheless took the bird her mother was offering and tremulously sang to it; her voice was lower than the other two women, where the others could be sopranos she was more of a contralto, but her voice was sweet and soft.

 

" _Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_sing sweet,_

_High, igh, igh, igh, igh, Above..."  
_

 

One last voice completed the harmony, higher, sweeter, and full of emotion and feeling. Katniss and Johanna walked to meet the Everdeens. Prim passed the chic to her sister, who placed a kiss on its little black crested head, and released it back to the branch, and to his other friends, who looked steadily at the singing women.

 

" _Oh, sing sweet Mockingjay,_

_Sing sweet mockingjay,_

_Oh, sing sweet Mockingjay, sing_

_Oh, sing sweet mockingjay,_

_Oh, sing, ing, ing, ing sweet_

_Oh, sing... Mockingjay... Sing..._

_sweet Mockingjay."_

 

As the women ended their song, silenced fell all around the grounds, after a few seconds, that stretched as if under a magic spell, the littlest bird, the one that hopped from human to human, picked up the melody, and sang it loud and clear, and again, the harmony and the majestic sound of the singing birds, filled the air. Even Baby Finn who had been giggling at the whistled tunes, was in deep awe of what he had just heard.

Time passed, and the song faded away, but the hearts of the ones assembled there did not want to disturb the quiet state of contentment that fell over them like soothing waves. Until Baby Finn, decided it was time for a feeding and the spell was broken.

"That was beautiful, ladies!" Said Mr. Latier politely, then bowing he turned to sit back in his place.

The Earl stepped closer; tears threaten to spill over his red rimmed eyes.

"I thought I would never get to hear the sweet voices of the Mockingjays again... The last ones stopped singing many years before they passed away... Too much pain and sadness flooding the family; it did my heart good to hear your voices today... Thank you... All of you..." He was about to turn away when Cashmere shyly called on him.

"Uncle Haymitch...?"

He stiffened and stopped for a moment, then turned back to face her; her green eyes pleading with him. But, he shook his head sadly.

"I am not ready to let you back into my heart Princess... But... I saw you again today, the real you; and I remembered loving you so dearly. Maybe, if you..." He faltered "Maybe with time...?" Tears flowed freely from her eyes, she nodded accepting his possibility, and she knew his 'maybe' meant to tell her, that if she changed her ways, he would love her again; but, sometimes, love needs to be given unconditionally, and without strings attached, in order to heal a heart. Neither of them knew this yet, but soon...

"At least he called me Princess..." She smiled uneasily at Clove, her voice braking "He used to call me that when I was his favorite..." She finally succumbed to sadness, and Clove hugged her, muffling her sobs and quivering body. She used to hate the pet name when she was little, she thought he was mocking her; then, when he only called her Cashmere, she mourned it. And the day he called her a bitch to her face... Well... that day her heart stopped beating altogether. 

Thom had not spoken at all, not even moved a muscle, he was still in trance from the beautiful display. He had never heard Prim sing before, and Peeta could not help chuckling at his protégé. He clapped him hard in the back, then leaned close enough to whisper in his ear, something that made him turn crimson from head to toe; he looked at Peeta like he could not believe what he had just said, and only kept staring. Peeta laughed loudly, and pushed him forward towards the Mockingjays, for that was what they were, full blown Mockingjays. Clove was excitedly talking to Cashmere, asking her questions and praising her performance, as she methodically wiped her friend's copious tears, giving her as much affection as she was comfortable with.

Thom approached the women shyly, and smiled softly at Prim, he told Mrs. Everdeen that her voice was angelical and blushed like a school boy after saying it, the woman laughed melodically, and told him he was allowed to take Prim to the gazebo for a few minutes of privacy, the young man did not needed to be told twice, only stopping to allow Peeta to give Prim a quick hug and kissed the crown of her head.

"That was beautiful, sweetie!" He muttered into her blond hair. "Now, go and take full advantage of your Mother's good mood! Just... Do not kiss him... on the lips... where we can see you... that would certainly be too much... too uncomfortable to see, even for me!" Prim just shot him a quick annoyed look, stuck her tongue out at him, and ran to the gazebo holding her very long skirts a few inches off the ground, pulling Thom by the hand after her, Rue laughed and decided it was time to start the process of cleaning up and packing for their return to the Estate.

Peeta chuckled at Prim's antics, "Well, somebody looks pleased with himself... I wonder why? He is not the one with the prodigious voice!" Smirked Johanna as she gave Peeta a knowing look, he only beamed at her.

"I may not be the man with the golden voice, but my woman does possess the virtuous Mockingjay voice, so... Yes... I am a pleased man! And now, if you excuse me, I need to kiss my future bride!" He strolled past Johanna who laughed at him merrily.

In four long strides, he was wrapping his arms around Katniss's middle, kissing her cheek. She sighed as if in relief, and melted against his warmth. "You look like a goddess, you hold yourself like a goddess, and you also sound like one too! Tell me, mistress... How is it that you grace us mortals with your presence and your favors?" He said as he nuzzled her cheek lovingly. Katniss let a small breathy giggle escape her mouth, "That was just breathtaking! I will have to make you ladies sing together more often!"

"Mmm... It might take some convincing. I think this is the first time we sang in public, or... at all, really." She paused for a moment, and as if lost in thought, she related her childhood memories _**"My father was particularly fond of mockingjays. When we went hunting, he would whistle and sing complicated songs to them and, after a polite pause, they'd always sing back. Not everyone is treated with such respect. But whenever my father sang, all the birds in the area would fall silent and listen."**_ Peeta smile benignly at her.

"Just like you!" He whispered softly. She smiled sadly at him.

 _ **"I could never bring myself to continue the practice after he was gone."**_ She said leaning her head on his shoulder, as he planted a kiss on her temple.

"You should definitely sing more often, Katniss dear..." Both of them turned towards the voice of Effie, who was dabbing at her few tears. "It was the sweetest sound I have heard, and I am so glad that all of you ladies did it... for whatever reasons inspired you!" She said loud enough for Mrs. Everdeen and Cashmere to hear as well.

Peeta released Katniss, once he noticed the disapproving look in Mrs. Everdeen's face. Finnick did not seem very comfortable with his open display of affection on the young woman either, he had even said so clear as day during their hunting outing; he did not think it appropriate to be so publicly affectionate with Katniss, when his still lawful wife was right in front of him. And lastly, he saw the look Cashmere gave them, as he placed his hand over his lover's lower belly, it was a mixture of longing and sadness, it made him uncomfortable and a shiver ran down his spine, it felt wrong to notice Cashmere's eyes following Katniss everywhere. When he looked up, he saw Johanna, watching intently as well, she had noticed the strangeness; it was time to go home, regroup, and study their options once more. He had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and somehow, he knew Johanna was feeling it too.

 

=====================

 

Finnick sat on the desk, in Peeta's chair, a host of open books littering the surface of the table, while Katniss, Haymitch, and Effie sat on the other side of the desk; Peeta was leaning on the bookshelf behind his desk, while Johanna kept on pacing behind Haymitch, Katniss, and Effie's chairs.

"So, you mean to say, that the witch wants Katniss to have a child, because the law prohibits divorcing when a couple have small children in common, until every child has reached eighteen years of age?" Asked Johanna chewing on her thumb nail, as she paced; it had taken Peeta and Haymitch to restrained her from going after Cashmere, that evening, after Katniss had told her all the gruesome details of how this _Oopsie_ child had come to be. She had been absolutely hysterical with rage, and her murderous rant could be heard all over the house. Needless to say, Cashmere was back in seclusion for the time being.

"Correct..." said Finnick tiredly. “Or we have deduced as much, by what Lady Clove said during her drunken confession to Lady Katniss herself. Now, the reason she does not want a divorce, could be as simple as retaining her nobility title, and all her wealth... for the Duchess, her social standing has become her whole identity and she will go to great lengths to keep her social status intact, no matter the cost."

"I promised her money and houses... But she told me today, it was not about wealth anymore... Sometimes she can be very convincing, cogent even... I had promised her, she can still wear a new gown every day and matching new shoes with the gaudiest jewelry Panem has to offer, if that was what she wanted. I would give her anything she could possibly want! She hates me! It would be a win-win situation!" Peeta hissed angrily. "But, she insinuated she wants a family... Why now? Why mine?"

"She is your wife, doofus!" Retorted Johanna.

"So what? It is not like we went out of our way to choose each other! Neither of us had a say in the choosing..." He spat venomously "This last two and half weeks have been the longest we have ever been under one same roof, and it has been strictly out of necessity, she does not even insinuate she would want to share our marital chamber, we just simply do not want the other that way." He countered.

"If you divorce her, she would not be a Duchess anymore, and she will not have as much prestige as she does right now, boy. You are second in line to the throne! that is as close as she will ever get to be royalty. Without you as husband, she has nothing: no prestige, no social status, no title... She is just Cashmere DeLoach, the most expensive whore in the kingdom. With you, she even has cousins!" said Haymitch swirling his whiskey on the rocks around his glass lazily, his body presenting a relaxation his frowning face contradicted, legs crossed widely, his bottom sitting at the very edge of his chair, while his neck and shoulders were supported by the back of the chair.

"What I do not understand, is how in hell, Katniss giving birth to Peter's child, will help her stay married to him. If anything, she could file for divorce right now, and it would be granted to her, no questions asked, plus she would be walking away with everything that has not been nailed to the walls of houses belonging to the Dukedom." Said Johanna once more, fixing Finnick with a glare.

Finnick shifted in his seat, so he was sitting straighter, he would make a great storyteller, and every eye was on him, in rapt attention, listening closely to what he had to say.

"Let me start from the beginning, for we would need to understand all the terms, the actual way, they are intended and not how our society uses them." He said sounding like a professor giving a lecture, "A concubine... In this case, Lady Katniss," he gestured a hand in her direction, "In a normal society, be it polygamous or not, is a woman that agrees to live with a man, as a wife of secondary rank, in many other ancient societies, Kings and high ups in the hierarchy would have many wives and concubines, but, for some reason, in Panem, our law prohibits the King and Crown Prince from having more than one spouse at a time, and a concubine would constitute a spouse if you go by this rightful definition. Now, in our kingdom, concubines are permitted under strict laws, like a wife for hire if you please. Their stay with a man is limited and normally should not involve any romantic feelings, although the relationship is explicitly sexual in nature." He took a breather; so far his explanations were easy to follow, so no one interrupted him.

"The idea, is that a married man can stay 'entertain' and his needs are 'cared for' while the wife is unable to perform her duties." He took a sip of the coffee that sat in front of him, grimaced in disgust, smacked his lips, and picked up three sugar cubes from a small container, two of them he dropped into the dark liquid, the third one he popped into his mouth and chewed on it happily making loud crunchy sounds, he looked up at his companions and smiled, _**"Want a sugar cube?"**_ He offered, most of them only shook their heads and smile ruefully at him, Johanna glared at him, and Katniss gave him a soft

_**"No, thanks,"** _

"Very well... I am a firm believer that... _**well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick.**_ " He said grinning one of his heart stopping grins, Katniss smirked at him, and grabbed the fresh sugar cube that sat on the palm of his hand, she munched on it and gave him a smile as she did.

"Get on with it Odair!" snapped Johanna moodily. He responded with a deep smile, but he continued his lesson.

"Now, normally in a regular concubinage relationship, conceiving a child is accepted and welcomed, there are no real obstacles for procreation, and it certainly is not illegal. But, in Panem, where concubinage is more or less a business transaction and not a permanent relationship, contracts had been drawn, to protect the lawful heirs, for any child born in the midst of the concubinage itself should retain all the same rights a child born in the marriage should." another pause to see if his audience had been following him thus far. "Contracts have to be specific in that concern, anti-conception methods must be provided and make readily available for the concubine..." He breathed deeply, and rubbed his forehead as he grimaced. "If I had been more knowledgeable, or at least more diligent in educating myself in the laws overseeing this contracts, it would had been the first thing I would had noticed as there being something amiss with Miss Katniss' contract, and I profoundly apologize for it. Stupidly I assumed that a pregnancy was inherently forbidden for a concubine, which was not... I am so sorry, Lady Katniss, my Lord Peter... I should have paid closer attention to that glaring detail..."

"My Lord... You have nothing to be sorry about, you did not fail us in any way, I was tricked with false contraceptives, and this child was inevitable... And to be honest, I am alright with being with child, the more we know the laws, the better I feel... Except for Hagar's Law..." Said Katniss, clutching Finnick's hand in one of hers, he looked tired, but grateful.

"Lady Katniss is right, my Lord... even if you had caught the suspicious hole in the contract, fixing it to standards would have make our child illegal, and for what you have said so far, we now know we have not incurred in some kind of illegal wrongdoing; knowing the laws would have not prevent us from conceiving." assured Peeta with a nod. "This is actually good news to us, my Lord! And both me and Lady Katniss appreciate you giving us this much needed break through"

"I understand what you both are saying, but... I am still the legal counselor for the Mellark house, knowing the laws would had prepared me better for this situation, we could have made contingencies beforehand, rechecked the medicines provided to Lady Katniss, draw a better contract, inquire about this to whoever made the original contract with the Duchess, we could have been in a much more advantage-able situation, instead I am grasping at straws trying to figure out a way to make it better for all the parties... So... I finally reached a conclusion... If we let the contract stand as is currently, we should not have legal repercussions." Finnick was a little agitated; he seemed to be truly aggravated with himself.

"But?" asked Johanna, always understanding more about legal issues and lingo than the rest. "There is a but, is it not?" Her voice was soft, soothing, she has trying to help him collect his thoughts to explain the next part, the tricky part.

"Her Grace has claimed Hagar's Law." He said flatly, he then slumped backwards on his chair and covered his eyes with his hands for a moment.

"What does that mean exactly? Explain it to us as if we were five year olds" Johanna prodded still soothingly.

"Hagar's Law, is an amendment to the law governing concubinage, it states that a child conceived during the concubinage period, would be considered a natural child of the legal wife. The concubine would not be considered the Mother of the child in anyway, she will merely be a substitute womb for the lawful wife, carrying the child to completion, and after the birth, she will not have any parental rights or claim over the infant. Now, the problem arises, when, nowhere in the contract is this situation addressed, and the Duchess could appeal to the courts making a legal claim on Hagar's Law... Because apparently this could be a verbal agreement as long as the contract does not indicate a conception unlawful..."

"Katniss never signed anything specifically agreeing to have her parental rights revoked?" Johanna cut him off.

"Uh... No, she did not." He answered giving her a quizzical look.

"But that bitch fed her fertilizers..." Johanna muttered in deep thought, "That in on itself should be illegal!"

"Maybe, but, Katniss did agree to take the medicines provided to her in her contract, that part has no argument other than she thought they were contraceptives..." He trailed off.

"Exactly... Is there anything in the contract indicating the name and purpose for the medicine?"

"Actually... yes!" Finnick said double checking the copy of the contract in front of him. "It says name and purpose right here." He pointed out at a paragraph once he located it.

Johanna smirked, "There was no intent or mention of Hagar's Law in the original draft, was there?" She asked smugly.

"No..." He frowned for a moment. "Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" Said Finnick peering at the woman who had finally stopped her constant pacing, her eyebrow was raised, and he smirked right back at her.

"Maybe. Can you see it now?" She countered folding her arms over her chest. Finnick nodded, his smile growing mammoth sizes.

"What is it?" asked Peeta watching his two friends exchange knowing smirks.

"Peet, I think our brilliant friend just found us a loophole!" said Finnick still holding Johanna's gaze.

 

====================

 

Three days later, everyone was saying their goodbyes to Mr. Beetee Latier, who was now riding his mount out of Winter Home's grounds. In the few days of his stay, he had managed to charm Effie into a blubbery, blushing mess of a woman, to Haymitch's great frustration.

"Seriously, Old man! it will be your own fault if you lose the old gal to the inventor! Make your move already; you should have been wedded ages ago!" huffed Johanna irritably, as she yanked up her hunting ax out of a slain juvenile boar that had had the bad luck to cross the path of the hunting company. "At least then, we would not be subjected to listening to your whining and complaining"

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, girl!" growled the Earl in response.

"Sure you don't!" Quipped Peeta from behind his mount, where he had been looking for ropes and a couple of hunting knives to help Johanna field dress her kill and then haul it back to the house. Finnick laughed.

Peeta had taken Katniss hunting the day before, but she had been a little out of sync with herself, she could not aim to save her life, and soon got frustrated and weepy. They had to go back home after her only killed was a sick looking turkey that meandered too closed to them. Today, she had practically kicked everyone out of the manor, claiming she needed peace and quiet, and snuggles with tiny Master Odair, so, there they were... Field dressing a boar, while they listened to Haymitch glower about Mr. Latier.

"We have humored you for years, my Lord, pretending we are not aware of your feelings for Lady Trinket... I think Dame Mason is just fed up with it all" Finnick contributed, trying hard to repress a giggle.

"You are all idiots!" Was Haymitch's sole response, before the rest of the party broke out in laughter. The Earl pulled his silver flask out of his hunting jacket, and drank bitterly, clearly annoyed.

"Ugh... Boars stink!"

"Aww, is the smell of the nasty dead beast too offending for His Grace's delicate nose?" cooed Johanna mockingly.

"Shut up! I just keep thinking about the one that almost gouged me and Katniss... He got what he deserved! To be roasted and served to me on a delicate and expensive china dish!" Even Haymitch found the comment humorous.

But their light banter died down, as they heard a horse galloping in their general direction; soon, Mr. Dalton's horse broke through the brush and came to stop about ten feet away from the hunting party; he quickly pulled on his mount's reins, and brought it over at a slower pace.

"My Lord! A large cavalcade of uniformed Peacekeepers approaches; they have been sighted up the main road, apparently on route to Winter Home!" The man gasped while his horse moved back and forth nervously.

"How large?" Peeta asked already making his way to his own mount. "How far out?"

"Pretty large, 15 to 20 men on horseback, two very official looking Knights at the head. Nothing else." He said, swallowed and continued. "They were spotted approximately 15 minutes out, when Mr. Thom sent for you, Sir!"

"Shit... I was so looking forward to having ham for dinner tonight..." Muttered Johanna already slinging a leg over her horse and gazing sadly at her dead boar half way carved on the ground.

"Mr. Dalton can take care of the animal, ma'am, we need to make haste if we want to meet this convoy!" Said Peeta looking at Dalton, the man nodded and dismounted, grabbing all the ropes Peeta had already neatly knotted into a harness on the ground, he went to work tying the boar up to his horse, the cooks would have to finish the job for Dame Mason back in the kitchens.

"Well, at least it is a relief there are no cages or official looking carriages" said Finnick under his breath, as they headed back to the House, his comment only met with an agreeing grunt from the Earl.

They arrived to the main courtyard just as the company crossed the gates of the property. Gale was at the very head of the group, looking worse for wear and a little grim as he found Peeta's questioning gaze. The women have also rushed out of the house with Thom preceding them and Thresh bringing the rear.

"Gale?" Katniss breathed out disconcerted as she made her way to the front of the group.

He was indeed looking very official, full on _Captain of His Majesty's Knights_ official. He dismounted, and nodded at Katniss before focusing his gaze back on Peeta.

"Your Grace, master Peter Mellark... We come with urgent and grim news from the Capitol," the rest of the peacekeeper force got down from their horses and oddly enough, scrabbled to get their horses under control and into an formal forming rank.

Peeta opened his mouth, but Gale spoke before he could say anything else, "My Lord, Prince Cato is dead," every person that heard, gasped in shock, except for Clove who choked down a sob, "I am here as your personal bodyguard until your affairs here in Merch have been settle, and then I am to escort you, and your... household back to the Capitol." He said looking at Katniss meaningfully.

"Why must my husband leave his home?" Cashmere asked perturbed.

"More importantly why does he need a whole army?" asked a disconcerted Annie.

Johanna, came to stand in front of Peeta for a moment, her eyes full of tears and shock, she understood something that was just dawning on Peeta and Effie.

"Ah... Fucking shit!" cursed Haymitch loudly. He too had figured it out as well. "Not this!" He muttered under his breath.

"My liege, I vow to serve and protect you and your loved ones with my life." Said Johanna firmly, then brought the hilt of her unsheathed sword to her chest and kneeled before Peeta.

"Johanna... Please, not..." Whispered Peeta uncomfortably, looking at a sobbing Effie desperately.

"Let it be known, from this moment forth, Lord Peter Mellark shall be known as, His Highness, Prince Peter, Heir Apparent to the Throne and Crown of the Kingdom of Panem!" As Gale said the words, all the uniformed men brought the hilt of their swords to their chests, just like Johanna had done, and kneeled before their new Prince.

"Arrgh... I am royally fucked!" groaned Peeta quietly.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Direct quotes from The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, in Italics/Bold. Thoughts and flashbacks italics. There is a tiny nudge to one of my Hubby's favorite movies "Idiocracy" during a Katniss/Clove interaction. 
> 
> First things first... I have absolutely no idea how a real monarchy works, and I have chosen to deliberately not research it, because of how I'm having things working out and fitting together in this story... so... I apologize if this hierarchy is not realistic at all, I recognize it's a total work of fiction in that regard. That been said, I hope my twist is credible at least. 
> 
> The song "Sing Sweet Nightingale" original for the 1950 animated Disney Classic: Cinderella, was written & and composed by: Mack David, Jerry Livingston, Al Hoffman. And Performed by: Ilene Woods. Walt Disney himself came up with the idea of having Woods sing harmony to herself, thus resulting in it's portrayal for the movie. I of course, took the liberty to replaced the bird species from Nightingale to Mockingjay to fit my story... Did listening to the original song before hand, helped in the imagining of what the quartet of human Mockingjays sound? Let me know, because that was exactly how I pictured it in my head. 
> 
> A quick note on Cinna/Katniss friendship: If Cinna seems to not really be able to anticipate Katniss' moods in this fic, it's intentional. Why? Because, in this story they aren't as close as they are in Canon, here, as a male he would keep his distance more whereas Portia might be closer, because she is a woman. 
> 
> Hagar's Law, is actually the first thing I came up with, when I started writing this story... I know it's a bit convoluted and bloated, but, it is what I use to build my story around of. Of course, with time it got refined and reworked and scratched altogether and rewritten to fit better with everything else, but, I am glad that at last, it's out there. By the way, I have absolutely no knowledge of how to right laws of any kind, even in my house I'm terrible at upholding my own rules, but, as with the monarchy stuff, I hope the idea was cohesive and coherent, and understandable and plausible, I also hope my lawyer extraordinaire Finnick Odair did a good job explaining it... The whole thing was supposed to be a somewhat parallel to his interview during the rescue mission in Mickingjay, of course that one was a million times more involving and if I'm honest was my favorite part of Mockingjay part:1... The whole scene was so intense I left nail marks on my husband's forearm at the movie theatre, even though I knew where was he going and what was going to happened during his speech. I hope my take on that scene was at least marginally engaging. 
> 
> We go back to the Capitol in the next chapter, and we will have a slight time jump forward of a couple of months... Hope you are ready for it!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated as always!


	24. Into the Viper's Nest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: None of the recognizable names, places, quotes from the Hunger Games series belong to me.
> 
> >>\-------->
> 
> Thank you abk1973 for taking the time to beta this, your work is highly appreciated.
> 
> Warning: Extremely long chapter ahead, I apologize before hand for how lengthy this one turned out to be, there was too much info to cover that could not be expanded in subsequent chapters. Go forth and enjoy! Comments/reviews always welcome at the end.

_"Make way!" A Peacekeeper shouts pulling the reins of his mount back to reduce his speed, before entering the packed courtyard of the Royal Palace. It was barely past one in the afternoon, and although the day was dreary and grey, people were milling about, looking for an audience with the King._

_As the horse snorted and clipped its feet loudly, people parted for the big animal to pass, but then, the sound of even more horses resounded not far behind. Everyone moved back to line themselves around and against the high stone walls, to leave the center open for the horses coming._

_Gale was first to arrive in the courtyard to see what news this man brought._

_"Captain!" The peacekeeper jumped down from his saddle in a swift motion._

_"What news?" Gale's words were still leaving his lips when the man exclaimed excitedly._

_"We have caught him, sir!" He looked like he had just been injected with a full dose of adrenaline as he spoke in a rush, with exaggerated hand and arm gestures and big round eyes. "He was hiding in an abandoned cellar, near his nephew's manor... He fought like hell, but we got him!" The man said elated._

_"Where is he now?" Asked Gale feeling the man's energy seep into him, with the contagious excitement of the moment._

_"I ran ahead to inform you of his capture, but, the company is not even 10 minutes behind!" The peacekeeper chuckled in excitement, realizing how exhausted he was._

_"Good!" Said Gale with a face-splitting smile, which was a very uncharacteristic sight on the young Captain's handsome features. "BOGGS!" He called out his second in command, "Prepare the dungeons! We do not want to disappoint Lord Crane in his accommodations! Although I cannot say if he will be taking residence there long!" After that, everything was just a blur of horses, shouts from the rabble throwing garbage at the passing horse-pulled cage housing the prisoner that had caused the biggest manhunt in ages to stir up the city._

_Gale ordered the palace yard to empty of people who had no stake on the capture, and eventual trial of the man that murdered a Knight in cold blood. It was not that Gale did not sympathize with the man, he did, he understood his motives, but, taking the life of a person that for all purposes was innocent of the wrongs that had been committed against him, prompting such desperate actions, was something he could not readily forget. Sir Gloss DeLoach was a dick and very stuck up, but his placement amongst His Majesty's Knights was not a handout by any means, he had earned his place there, working hard, just like the rest of them, he did not deserve to die for a crime he did not commit._

_Once the courtyard was empty from subjects and peasants, Gale ordered the gates to be closed, and the prisoner taken out of his cage. Normally, the King would be informed about the capture and imprisonment of the criminal after he was secured in the dungeons, but not today... Today, Prince Cato is drunk out of his mind, there is a raucous the King can hear coming from his throne room; he has not bothered to come sit in it at all, knowing that those insufferable subjects of his will be filling it, seeking audiences with him, and he is too busy, scheming and plotting his next move to even pretend he cares for the problems of the rabble._

_"Brutus!" He calls out. "Keep Cato quiet and out of my way! If you cannot handle him I will find you a replacement that can!" The King spats out. The man named Brutus, whose head just poked into the small antechamber to the Throne Room, seems to have made a face, but it moved away so fast, it could not be confirm._

_"Faaaatheeeer!" The slurred sound of Cato's screech fills the air in the antechamber. Brutus will really have to find himself a new job, and quite possibly a hospital bed; it is very likely he will be flogged for this as punishment. "Seneca Crane has come to pay us a visit! I just heard that annoying man Hawthorne call out to the Knights to prepare him to come see you! I will sure love to see his stupid face when he is brought in in shackles!" He laughs dementedly. "Once he is dead, you should go for his wife! Then his whole house would be extinct!"_

_"I do not want them extinct! I wanted my new child, and you saw to it to deny me that small joy!" The King said losing patience. He then added. "You are forbidden to enter the Throne Room while I speak to Seneca! I lost my child too when he lost his; I do not want you to ruin the only time I will get to commiserate with a prisoner!" The King's voice was biting, he might had not really harbored any feelings towards Glimmer past a lecherous yearning and a sick greediness for her young, taut, capable body, but she had been carrying something precious to him... Legacy. Of course he wanted to pretend he understood his could-have-been in-law._

_Brutus promptly removed Cato, from the room, the Prince was so hammered there was very little resistance, or so Brutus thought. Once the hulk of a man had turned his back away from the Prince, he had slipped away, and made his way back to the throne room. The despair of this man was calling him like a moth to fire._

_" **Seneca... I like you**... You should had been careful" Cato heard his father say with what he supposed was regret, he was standing behind a door, barely cracked open for him to peek in, he could not see anything from his place, so once more, he snuck in as the accused started to cackle._

_"My Lord that is the biggest lie you have said to me today!" Lord Crane shouted with a laugh, he was dead anyway, why pretend he had any respect left for this murderer "My baby is dead because of you, you took her away, regardless of my refusal to let her come to court, you defiled her, used her, and reduced her to nothing more than a whore! You never cared for me or for my family!"_

_"Oh well, if I remember correctly it was you who refused to pay off that idiot Marvel!" Slurred Cato from his hiding spot, a taunting smirk on his face. "You did not care much for her either, I say... If you had payed... she could have become queen of Panem while carrying that usurper bastard child of hers" he laughed with mirth, the King was angry, but Lord Crane saw his opportunity to taunt back._

_"Cato! Return to your apartments at once! This does not concern you!" The King hissed, but his son ignored him... All he could hear was the words spewing out of Seneca Crane’s mouth._

_"I say, I actually cared a lot more about my beautiful Glimmer, than his Majesty has ever cared for such a waste of a son as you are..._ Highness _! At least I gave her a real loving family, with a caring mother. At least she was created out of love and not out of necessity..."_

_"Shut up!" Cato shouted, "You are a stupid, insignificant nobody, who only was lucky enough to produce a passable daughter..."_

_"Cato! Go to your chambers! Now!" Ordered the King. The few guards in the room were starting to get uncomfortable with the situation, but no one moved, not before they were called into action._

_"Yes! My best achievement was to father a baby girl! And she in turn was in the middle of producing her own child! But, you? How is it that a grown man has not found a wife yet? Instead of being your own person, you are a jealous louse, syphoning womanly affection from another man's wife, who by the way, is ten times better than you could ever be..._ My Lord _!" Everytime, Seneca Crane used a title towards Cato, made it sound more like an insult, and the prisoner got great joy in seeing that the Prince was utterly bothered by it, he deserved the slight either way. "You see? Titles and royal pedigree mean nothing when in your mind you are small and inconsequential,_ my Prince _! My daughter's child would have knocked you out of the line of succession even if it had been a female! my Glimmer's child would have been a truly beloved heir to this kingdom!"_

_"Enough!" The King shouted, but Cato shouted above his father's voice._

_"You bastard! I will make you pay for your insults! I will take your life just like I did that infant imposter!" He charged at the man, who stood in front of his father, in ragged clothing, with bags under his eyes and very unkempt hair and beard, the shackles that had been bounding his hands had gotten removed, by order of the King himself, there were still shackles around both his ankles, he could not have gotten any farther, but when your target comes at you... You really do not need to go far._

_Lord Crane had been a military man at some point in his life. And although he had been on the run for weeks, he had nothing to lose anymore, he had whatever agility he had gained after having to chase and hunt his own nourishment for so long, and Cato was so drunk, not even his larger, more muscled frame was a disadvantage for Crane, on the contrary, the Prince fell quicker, more heavily, and the dagger he had brandished in the prisoners direction flew out of his hand easily, Seneca Crane only had to reach for it, and plunged it right into the prince's neck._

_Everything happened so fast, none of the present guards could have break them apart before the knife broke Cato's skin. Not even Snow had reacted to the blur of action. He merely sat there, blinking, then, Cato started gurgling, pawing at the hilt of the dagger still stuck deep in his neck; this prompted the old King to leap from his perch and rush to his son, screaming bloody murder._

_"Cato! My only son!" The old man kneeled in front of his son, and held him to his chest, probably the very first time he did such a thing in all his life. Cato's eyes were so big, full of surprise and fear, he grabbed at his father's robe, at his neck, his was desperate for air, he could not speak, he finally yanked the dagger from where it was buried and let it drop at his side. "Cato... My son... No... You were my legacy, you cannot die! Not like this, not before you rule our kingdom... Please..." The King managed a tear to roll down his cheek. Cato tried to say something, but he choked in his own blood, he tried to touch his father's face, but, his movements were jerky, and weak, so weak. Weaker. Then still. The King screamed until his voice was gone. The room filled with guards, and Gale broke into the room finally with a group of knights at his heels. There was nothing for them to do other than take the corpse. No one had paid attention to the man with the bloody hands, who had picked up the discarded dagger until he spoke._

_"An eye for an eye, my liege!" He shifted the shiny knife in his hand until it glinted, there was a collective intake of breath, Gale took his sword out, and so did everyone else, but Lord Crane spoke softly again, looking down at the grieving old King, "You took my only child, I took yours... May our houses die with us, terrible fathers... At last, I have avenged my sweet Glimmer! I will die in peace; can you say the same Coriolanus?" Then he dragged the blade of the knife across his own neck, and Seneca Crane, was no more._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

 

"Arrgh... I am royally fucked!" Groaned Peeta quietly.

All around, there was collective shock and silence, then one by one the present started to follow the lead of the Knights and Peacekeepers, first Effie, then Haymitch, Finnick, Annie, Mags, Thom, Thresh and so on, all bowed their heads to the new Prince, and then it was just Katniss and Cashmere standing in the middle of the bowed bodies, neither of them moved for a moment, maybe neither of them could, but as if they were one, they curtsied in unison.

Peeta just stood there frozen in terror, this could not be happening; his eyes frantically searched for Katniss, all he could think about was that whatever relationship he had with her up until then, was illegal with his change of status. Cashmere's status was elevated with his, but Katniss was now merely a peasant carrying his genetic material. He was paralyzed with fear at the thought of not being able to stay with her. Not being able to claim his child as his. He found her right where he last saw her, just this time, she was curtsying so low her knuckles almost kissed the ground. Her head was bowed so he could not see what kind of reaction she was having to the news.

He hoped she was not aware of how much, indeed, royally screwed they were at the moment. His first thought was to call Gale, Finnick and Haymitch to his study... Right after he kissed his concubine thoroughly.

"My good friends... I am still the same person, please; there is no need for this amount of... Just, please stand?" Peeta weakly tried after a second. "Johanna, come on... Help me out here? Would you please stand up?" He muttered at his friend who was still kneeling in front of him, and very close.

"As you wish Highness." She stood, with another bow, shorter and less dramatic. She was struggling to hold her sobs and tears in; she gave him a meaningful look and then directed her sight to Katniss. She knew their relationship had gotten ten times more complicated now.

"Johanna, get Katniss inside... Take her to our chambers... I will follow after I have a word with your Captain." He spoke fast and low, she sheathed her sword back in her holster, and headed to do her Prince's bidding.

Once she reached Katniss, who was still bowing submissively, she touched her elbow tenderly. "Come my Lady, his Highness wishes a private word in his chambers." Katniss looked up at her friend, she was still in shock and no emotion had had a chance to fully form in her mind or in her heart, so her face only reflected bewilderment. She nodded dazedly and let Dame Mason lead her back into the house and away into her chamber.

Meanwhile, Peeta had moved towards Gale, the young Captain stood and gave him an official salute, Peeta stubbornly went for a hand shake, which the younger man accepted and returned firmly. He then went to greet the other knight, Mitchell.

"Your Highness... There are so many things we need to talk about" the urgency in Gale's voice hinted at the big frightening scene still hidden behind veiled words.

"Indeed... Get your men situated, have Thom and Thresh assist you in anything you need, the barracks will be a bit snug with so many of your men, but, it will do. I have to go see Lady Katniss, reassure her everything is fine, and then I want to meet with you and Lords Odair and Abernathy in my study."

"As you please, My Lord..." He hesitated a moment, there was pain and conflict in his deep grey eyes.

"Speak freely, Captain. My permission is always granted for your counsel" Peeta said slowly. Gale looked around quickly, making sure it was safe to talk.

"You only have ten days to put your affairs in order, my lord... Including her... She will not be allowed to come with you as your Concubine, you must know the rules... In ten days’ time, her contract will be forfeited" Peeta's heart contracted painfully, then stopped, then started frantically again.

"I... I know... I understand... That is why I have to go to her right away... Gale..." He swallowed, this was worse than anything, even worse than having Prim slap him in the face in disappointment, but he had to tell him. Gale was looking at him expectantly, his face falling with each passing second; he could read it in Peeta's eyes. "I am so sorry..." Peeta gulped. Gale's face twitched.

"Just say it, my Lord, I am a grown man."

"She is with child. Her mother confirmed it about two weeks ago."

Gale numbly muttered the word "Congratulations" without any real warmth, he turned around to shout orders to his men, he would feel the blow of this news later on, when they had time to sink in and simmer. Peeta just scrubbed his face harshly, and then turned around to shout his own orders to his own people. Thom and Thresh were left in charge, Effie was asked to go prepare the house for the soldiers posted there. Cashmere called after him, he would not look back, but she was running next to him in a moment.

"Peter!" She yelled at him, yanking his arm back, causing him to swivel and face her.

"What do you want Cashmere? I need to go see Katniss!" He spat at her harshly.

"I know! But I have to..."

"What?" He yelled losing patience, "You have to what? My life is upside down right this second and I only have ten days to be with the woman I actually love, before she is ripped away from me... What do you want... _Your Highness_?" He said the words with venom and loathing.

"I want her! I want her child! I want to keep them both!" She said firmly. He looked at her with shock in his face.

"You want my woman and my child? In what capacity?" He was frowning and he did not bothered to hide the disgust in his face.

"We both know you have lost her as your concubine, but... She _is_ my distant cousin... I can employ her as my Lady in Waiting; we do not have to part with her... We will hide the fact she is with child, for the time being, then when time grows near, we can retire back here, she can have the child, and I will pretend it was me who birthed it..."

"No!" He cut her off angrily, "Out of the question!" He snapped.

"It will be an ideal compromise, Peter! I want this!" She countered.

"And _**I**_ do _not_ want it, is my child and my woman. I will not allow that travesty to happen in my family!" He responded enunciating each word exaggeratedly, he did not want Cashmere close to Katniss at all, now less than ever. "You will not selfishly exploit my loved ones, you have no right, and your motivations are murky and devious!"

"My reasons are my own, but... You will have your mistress at hand..." Her face was impassive, "Just as the King does," She held his gaze for a long while, her eyes were devoid of emotion, while his where unbelieving and disgusted.

"This..." He said flicking a finger between them both "Is not going to work this way anymore, I refuse to play your little games any longer, tell me why are you so obdurately insist on ' _wanting_ ' her? I am not the King, I am not going to disgrace myself and become as repugnant as he is... _My_ Katniss deserves so much more than being treated just as a lowly mistress..."

"Oh, please!" Cashmere exclaimed throwing her hands in the air. "That idealistic mindset of yours will not help you at all in Court! You are a Snow now! You will be expected to keep with tradition; no one will bat a lash at you going into your quarters with her on your arm... And you can impregnate her as many times as you wish afterwards! I want children to raise as my own, and the both of you can give them to me... I am done being alone, and I am tired of getting betrayed by people that are supposed to care for me, you can keep your lover, and I will mother her children even away from the Palace, where I am sure you will be housed from now on!" He was rendered mute by her proposition, so she ventured one last statement while he was still looking like a fish out of water staring at her unbelieving. She said resolute "You get to fuck, and I get a new family!"

Peeta was beyond angry, he felt the blood in his veins evaporate, she just wanted to use Katniss as if she was a baby mill. "You are talking about my hypothetical children here! Mine and Katniss', Cashmere... I suggest you get out of my way right now, if you do not want to find out how incredibly angry I am at your callousness... You will absolutely _not_ use my children to fulfill your own selfish agenda... It stops here! Now, get the fuck out of my sight!" He pushed away from her as quickly as he could; she recoiled at his voice, remembering how painful his hands felt around her throat the last time she got him truly angry. It took him every ounce of self-restraint not to punch her in her pretty little face, but he remembered Effie's words... He was _not_ a woman beater; he would never do that again for as long as could help it.

He finally reached his destination without further obstacles; when he entered his chamber, he found Johanna sitting on Katniss' favorite windowsill, she was fondly tucking a strand of hair behind Katniss' ear, while Katniss stood facing her, nodding at whatever words Johanna was whispering at her, for a moment he felt the strangest uneasiness settle in the pit of his stomach, the sight was too weird for him, but then he caught the tail end of whatever Johanna was saying, and he relaxed.

"... Plus, I already told you not to worry about that, your job is to keep my little niece or nephew warm and cozy inside your tummy until he or she is finally ready to come meet our big crazy family! Peter is smart, and just like you are the angst-filled younger sister I secretly _always_ wished for, Peter is the obnoxious big brother, that although he can get on my nerves at _all_ times, is always dependable and will always clean up responsibly after his own messes. You have to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your slim little shoulders... You were both meant for each other, and I love you both..." She trailed off, spying him as he silently lurked by the door. " ** _Peeta is coming_**." She whispered making Katniss wipe around to see him walking towards them.

"Highness..." She smirked at him.

"Johanna..." He huffed in irritation, but his heat cooled down rapidly as he saw Katniss' anxious face shyly turning to the floor, as if she could not meet his gaze. "Please, make sure no one bothers us. Then go entertain your Captain for about an hour, I am going to make love to my Sweetheart, and then I will come meet with you and the rest of the men!" Katniss's eyes widen at his brazenness, and her head snapped up finding his determined blue eyes fixed on her. She then looked at her friend's face who seemed unfazed by the very inappropriate comment her Master had just made, she was surprised at how professional Johanna was being, she did not made any crude remarks mocking them, nor did she jest or even cracked a smirk, she simply nodded, bowed, and reply firmly.

"As you wish, my Lord!" She then turned to Katniss, and she saw the dubious glint in her wide-set brown eyes, although the rest of her facial expression did not betrayed anything else. She was not even gone when Peeta had picked his sweetheart up in his arms in a swift motion,  she squeaked in surprised, he walked them to their bed, the door had barely clicked in place behind Johanna, when he was pressing open mouth kisses to Katniss' throat.

"Hig-highness... Should we not... Taaaah-lk about-about-about..." She feebly tried, but his lips were working fast, turning her brain to mush, and his hands... his big, strong, warm and delicious hands were everywhere all at once, rolling her nipples between deft fingers through her clothing, caressing skin that barely showed, pulling her dress aside, undoing her tiny buttons, she was suddenly pushed flushed against a bedpost; he had not taken her this way in so long, and he felt so unbelievably good, she was not going to ruin the moment by stopping him. "Your Highnessssss..." She breathed out lowly as she pulled on the handful of golden hair she was clutching tightly in her fist, he tore his lips away from her recently uncovered shoulder skin, to whisper in her ear, as he pushed down her body the fabric of her gown.

"Do not call me that... I am naught but your slave... Your word is my law and command... You are queen of my heart, and of my mind, and of my will. I am utterly yours, now and forever, come what may; I will always be yours... Your Peeta..." His words were spoken slowly, calculated and truthful, they flowed like balm on her anxious soul, and melted into her heart, she believed every word that came out of his mouth, and she let her apprehensions go, she gave in to him, he could do with her body what he pleased, and for the feel of it, what he pleased to do was to please her.

He undressed her as quickly as her many layers of clothes allowed, but soon enough she was stark naked and panting leaning her back on that bedpost, her hands fisted into his golden locks and one leg propped over his shoulder; his mouth was completely occupied with her throbbing center, and it was not long before her legs started to shake with her oncoming orgasm. Her whole body arched against the soft wooden pole supporting her up, her hips undulating of their own volition while his tongue lapped at her with pin-point precision, it was over before her moan could leave her throat, but he was not done just yet.

He picked her up safely in his arms, and gently laid her on their bed, he was still fully dressed, and seeing this she protested. "Darling, it is not fair that I am laid completely nude before your eyes, but mine are denied the sight of your virile body! I wish to give you pleasure as well! I wish to wrap my hands and lips around your manhood, and make you sigh my name." she pouted as he smirked at her and shook his head ruefully.

He pounced on her, and captured her mouth, drawing more moans out of her before speaking. "My love, _you have transformed from a shy, innocent caterpillar into a sensually driven butterfly!_ You both mesmerize me and consume me in every possible way... I love everything about you Katniss, I adore you" she gasped when his fingers plunged inside of her without warning, his lips got busy leaving kisses from her mouth down to her breasts, his teeth grazing skin as he went, the sensations built quickly, and she found herself thrashing on her bed once more. He found a happy medium, where he was faster and brazen then he had been of late, but still not rough enough to hurt anything, it seemed like she was enjoying it very much, as she kept clawing at his shoulders and arms, and emitting the most enticing grunts and moans as she rode his fingers with abandon, he saw her jaw go slack when her body started to tremble with her next orgasm. This one came fast and short, but still, he was not done. She peered at him under lidded eyes, he chuckled softly, she loved the way he looked right then, so boyish and carefree.

"Come my love," he muttered as he sat on the edge of the bed, he pulled her to his lap in a swift motion; she really had no strength to resist him. "Legs apart, we are just starting" he whispered into her ear, and she shivered, he had already given her two releases, how many more did he needed to give her before seeking his own pleasure?

He readjusted, then moved to sit on his haunches, he sat her with her back flushed to his chest, and gently spread her legs open, as far as they could go, he draped her slender legs around his own strong ones, until her ankles were tucked behind the back of his knees. "Arms up... Hands on the back of my head" he said softly into her ears, she obeyed mutely, her fingers threading his hair tightly, and he brought his warm, thick hands to rest on her hips, once her hands were locked around his nape, he slid her bottom forward by her hips, effectively spreading her legs as wide open as physically able.

"I love you, Katniss, I always will, I hope you know that. There is no woman in the world that compares to you, and I feel like the luckiest man alive to have you in my arms..." His hands were roaming over her smooth thighs and stomach; she was getting drunk on the whole experience, "I am honored to be the one to touch you in your most intimate places..." He slid his hands over one taut breast, just gently palming it, while the other hand slowly migrated to her pelvic region, she moaned softly, and her head finally fell back against his shoulder. Her whole body was pliable, soft, relaxed. "I am humbled that you allow me to bring you pleasure, I will beg you every day, for the rest of my life, that you grant me permission to kiss and caress your every corner, your every surface, your every hidden spot." He said with lips flushed against the skin of her neck, he started making soft, barely-there circles with the pad of two fingers on her swollen womanhood, as she panted and moved her hips as much as she could in her current position, he kept on whispering into her ear. "My sole purpose in life is to worship your body, to care for your wellbeing, to provide for your every need, for in my heart you are my only wife, the only wife I want. And I want so much for you and for us..." She started to moaned and gasp rapidly, the way he was tweaking her nipples, scraping her earlobe with his teeth, teasing her clit, was so erotic and felt so good, she did not wanted it to ever stop. "I want you to take my name, become my family legally, I will fight to accomplish that, I swear to you, I will not rest until you bare the name Mellark before God and men alike, and no one, can dispute our union. You are the love of my life! The mother of my heir, and all I want is for you to be content and safe!... Will you please, grant me my wishes, my goddess, my queen, my everything?" He said into her ear, and then the tip of his tongue, traveled around the shell of her ear, dropping down to her neck, and his mouth latched to the skin there, he nipped at her, and she bucked her hips forward, his fingers slipped deep inside her warm center, her walls were pulsating around his two fingers with insistence, she was so wet, his trousers were drenched in her dripping juices and he groaned with want. "Katniss, sweetheart, you are magnificent... My mouth waters at the prospect of tasting you once more." He choked out.

"Peeta... Your clothes... Lose them..." She panted into his ear, he released a strangled chuckle, but this time he obliged with her demand. He moved her to the bed, so he could rid himself of his offending outfit; when the last article of his clothing hit the floor, he slid in bed next to her. She had sat up while he was undressing, and although her greedy eyes never looked away from his strong, virile form, she did quick work of unraveling her braid, it was mostly already ruined, and there was something comforting about the way he combed his fingers through her long hair when it was loose, that made her feel safe and loved, and she craved that feeling more than anything.

"Peeta, I want to pleasure you. I want you in my mouth" she whispered into his shoulder, as soon as he was seated next to her. He made some kind of agreeing grunting noise, at the back of his throat, and took her lips into his, bitting her plump lower lip as hard as he knew was acceptable, she gasped and held his straining manhood in shaky, excited hands.

"I want to drink from your sweet nectar as well, my love. We will do it together." He said huskily.

"How?" She asked curiously, she really had no idea how did he expected to do this, so he elaborated with a sly smile.

"I will lie on my back, then you will sit your very wet center on my mouth facing my cock, then you can take me in your sweet little mouth... We will do this until you cannot go any longer, alright?" He smiled reassuringly at her; while she just looked at him with wide eyes, full of surprise and anticipation, he had been very adamant about not trying any new positions or engaging in extreme intercourse, claiming he did not want to risk harming the babe, but if he was suggesting it, then he must think it was safe enough and he must really want it, so she readily complied.

He was on his back, and she swiftly straddled his face, as she realized she would be basically kneeling on all fours, she wondered if she would look like he was wearing her like a pelt over his body, ' _instead of a bear skin, it would be a Katniss skin_ ', she chuckled at the thought; when he was on top of her, he covered her whole body completely, if it was not for her hands and legs inability to keep from touching his body all over, no one would ever noticed her under him, but when she was on top, she was small and thin and in no way could hide his imposing figure under her lithe tiny body, yet another thing she loved about this man, the way he could swallow up her whole being, not just her physical body, but he could consume her everything, and hide it within himself.

She felt his warm breath fan against her womanhood. She wiggled her hips backwards, and he gave a nervous chuckle, then brought his hands to her hips and draped his fingers around her upper thighs, she saw his cock twitched and her mouth watered, she took him in one hand, supporting her weight on the other, he gave an approving grunt behind her, and she quickly let her tongue lick his head eliciting a sigh from him, she smiled, and let the tip of her tongue flicked on his tiny slit, he bucked his hips upwards, and she lost her balance, landing completely splayed on top of his body, she laughed, her face half an inch away from his manhood, she decide to stay as she was, she would use both hands on him, and then her soft laughter died in her throat, for he plunged his tongue inside her in retaliation for her mischievous ways.

She moaned loudly, she ground hard against his mouth, and then sunk her mouth on him as swift as he did hers. He growled, and pulled her hips firmly, bringing her roughly closer to him, she moaned with his big erection hitting the very back of her throat, his own hips snapping upwards, digging deeper into her mouth. They were both trying to outdo the other, and she would be damned if she made it easy on him. One of her hands cupped his testicles softly, and he tensed for a second, relaxing right back a moment later, she then started pumping him in her fist as she made his shaft slick with her saliva.

He let go of her, to grunt lowly, he replaced his tongue with fingers, to pant breathily "Ugh... Yes, sweetheart, oh God I love your nimble hands and gifted mouth!" He plunged three fingers inside of her and her reaction was instantaneous, she shrieked in pleasure, and asked for more, as well as she could around her mouthful of dick. She pumped him faster, and he bit her inner thighs none too gentle. Her hips started grinding on his mouth hard, she was so close, she only needed a small push, so she let go of him with a loud pop, and started talking fast as her hips moved frantically above his face,

"Oh, yes Peeta, just like that! How I wish you could be filling my every crevice, I want you filling me up everywhere, I cannot get enough of you... If you truly are slave to my whims, you would just stick your thick fingers inside of my every opening... Do it Peeta... Fuck me until my legs give out!"

But it was too much for him, she had been pumping him in both her hands the whole time, and he stopped the licking, suckling and probing he was exerting on her with his mouth and tongue, he flipped her over, so fast, her head spun, and lost her bearings for a second.

"Sorry, Love... I have to fuck you now. On your hands and knees" he half growled, and half choked. She got twice as excited, his face was a mess of fluids and his skin was flushed red, he was sweating and looking so delectable, but it was the wording he used, that had her scrambling into position as she panted with lust, he had said 'no hard fucking', but this had all the signs of a hard fucking in the making, and she was ready for him to pound into her.

Once they were both settled, he put his hand on her smooth behind and softly rubbed soothing circles on her left buttocks, without any warning he spanked her right there, she yelp in surprise, and turned her head to look at him with grey lusty eyes, as big as saucers, she was not much for pain, but the way his very dark eyes were fixed on where she was sure was an imprint of his hand, made her want another, so she strained her bottom suggestively at him, his eyes briefly flit back to hers, she realized his usually bright blue irises where almost none existent. Her stomach filled with the fluttered of butterflies, when he spoke, his voice dark and deep, dangerous and intimidating.

"Did you like that, my pet?"

"Yes, my Lord, I did, very much!" she breathed in response.

"Can I give you another?" He asked in a forceful voice, she nodded, and saw his hand lift a few inches, and come down against her other buttock, she cried out loudly; the place where their skin connected stung and tingled, and he was rubbing soothingly over the aching behind. He gave her a squeeze; she looked up to him, his teeth biting hard on his lower lip.

"I am going to take your tight little back opening... I will not go gentle on you, I really want to fuck you right now, but, I want you to speak up if I am going too hard, I still do not think this is completely right. I need you to keep me in check, promise me you will keep me in check," his eyes were intense, and she nodded in agreement, she knew she would enjoy this very much, and she wanted him to do it again later on, but he needed to trust himself, and he needed to feel they were keeping safe boundaries, yes, she would keep in check.

He quickly slammed his whole body weight into her, holding unto her hips, he brought her back with force to meet his thrusts as he went in and out of her fast, relentlessly, and hard, grunting and growling as he went, every one of his movements ripped a loud cry from her that was part moan and part gasp. Her arms were shaking with exertion; it was all she could do to keep herself propped up. He leaned over her back, and snaked an arm around her, his fingers expertly finding her bundle of desire. She was close to unraveling already, so when he flicked his fingers for the first time, her body tensed gathering all the sensations into that specific spot, her breath hitched with his second flick, and her mouth went slack after grunting his name loudly, her arms gave out, and she slumped on her face, he pulled her behind higher up in the air, she had come, but he was not done just yet... Two more hard and deep thrusts later, he was gasping for air, eyes shut tight, fingers and nails digging into her skin, his teeth baring, until he had to open his mouth to let out his breath, and her name slipped out of his lips a few times, before he stilled his movements again.

He fell backwards, away from her prone body. But, she wanted him to hold her so badly; she pushed up on her hands, with what was left of her strength, and crawled her way to him. His warm seed was rapidly sliding down her legs. She smiled when her eyes found him, breathing hard, naked, spent, one arm slump over his face, covering his sweet eyes, and the other thrown open carelessly over the mattress, she would go there, too bad it was on the opposite side of where she was heading, she had to slide over his body, and then roll into place, but she made it finally, sporting a tired but satiated smile on her lips.

When her head was snugly cradled on his chest, under his arm, she stretched to kiss his cheek softly. His breathing was almost back to normal. He seemed to be really tired, which was strange for him, he always had more stamina than she had, he could pretty much go all night when he put his mind to it, but now, he was just lying there, she took the time to hug him, caress his chest, arms and stomach, leave little kisses wherever her lips could reach. She finally whispered into his chest a few shy words.

"I love you sweetheart... You are the only man that has ever caught my eye, and has intrigued me enough to want to do these things with... Thank you for giving my body such pleasures, I know this amount of roughness makes you uncomfortable at the moment, but... I loved it, every second of it. You were great." She caressed his face, but he still did not move other than to breath, she was starting to get worried about his lack of response, he always enjoyed talking with her after coitus, she forced her panic down, and propped herself up on her elbows, she could not hide her nervousness completely when she talked. "My love, what is the matter? Did you regret what just happened? I promise it was fine, it was not too hard, and it felt really good for me... Please, sweetie, talk to me..." She pleaded.

Finally, Peeta removed his arm away from his eyes, he found her storm grey ones quickly, and stared as if in awe. "I am... soooo, in love with you, Katniss..." He trailed off softly, his face and eyes filled with so much love, she felt tenderness bubble up in her chest, but he started to look troubled "I am afraid that even if Madge had lived, and we had wedded, and she had birthed children, I would still had pursue you, I would still had found a way to bed you, and filled your womb with my child, I would have run away with you, I would have done so much wrong, because you would have been so completely forbidden to me, but... I would have done it all without remorse..."

"Peeta..." Katniss felt like the oxygen had been sucked out of the world, she gasped in surprise for air, "I highly doubt you would have done any of that..." She said quietly, shaking her head, "You are a good man; you would have never cheated on your wife that way... Plus, there would have been no reason for us to ever cross paths, if Margaret had lived." Her chest constricted at the thought of how different their lives would have been, she would have probably settled for Gale if he had kept insisting. But, the thought of never having met Peeta, never having experience the bliss of feeling his thick fingers slide in and out of her body, while his sensuous lips left kiss tracks down her throat, never having felt his loving gaze on her, never having their late night conversations about everything and nothing at all... was something she did not really wanted to think of.

"No, probably not," he conceded dejectedly, he was lost in thought for a fraction of a second before he continued "but, I know my wretched luck... I would have met you somehow, fallen in love with you still, and I probably would have dreamed and wished about us to be together, until it was unbearable!" He said bitterly... After a few seconds of heavy silence, he said desperately, "I have to marry you legally, soon! You have to be my lawfully wedded wife, before anything else happens officially! Our future together depends on a marriage, and we will get it, even if I have to drag you to the other side of the world, were no kings can follow us... Katniss... I refuse to lose you! Not for the likes of the Crown! I will find a way, I swear... I will fight to keep you close to me. Always!" His eyes were intense, scared and so honest, she felt her chest constrict, squeezing her heart.

"In my heart you are my one and only husband... I will wait for you, come what may." She whispered.

"In ten days time, it will be illegal for me to share my bed with you as concubine..." He muttered darkly, her heart started to race, a host of new fears pummeled her brain and chest at this news. "You will be considered my illicit mistress if you stay with me... I would understand if you would rather stay in Winter Home and preserve your dignity and good name. I will not bring you to Court until I am free to court you and marry you..."

"Peeta, I am an eighteen year old, unmarried girl, pregnant with a married man's child... There is no dignity or good name to protect! I will follow you wherever you go, I will be your mistress as long as you promise you will make a respectable, decent, and honest woman out of me as soon as possible" she said resolutely.

He leaned into her, and kissed her, his hand cupping her face tenderly; he lowered her back into the mattress, and brought his other hand to in between her thighs, starting another round of lovemaking, this time, soft, gentle, slow. He made her see stars twice before entering her himself, and then... he took his time.

"I swear I will marry you... I swear our child will not be born a bastard, even if it is the last thing I do." He said into her ears as he rocked rhythmically in and out of her. And she knew he would stay true to his words. Johanna was right; he was always dependable that way.

 

=======================

 

Meeting with Gale and the rest of the group came a bit later than his initial one hour estimate, he had left Katniss comfortably tucked in their bed, already bathed, clothed and napping. Johanna gave him a questioning look that he ignored for the time being. He only felt a slight awkwardness towards the young Captain standing in front of him, as he thought about fucking Katniss hard from behind; his chest could not be prevented from puffing forth with pride at the thought of her calling his name in needy moans while he spilled deep inside of her every crevice... she was irrefutably his, the proof swimming in her belly unawares of the shitty situations that surrounded _her_ Father... he was convinced, deep in his heart, that this child was a little girl, and he would love it if she resembled like little Posy Hawthorne, for that was how he pictured his Katniss looking, as a small child.

Gale seemed to be uncomfortable, maybe he knew what had transpired between Peeta and his Concubine right before this meeting, she had been very loud in their dalliance, but, as no one else seemed bothered or weirded out, he doubted she had been overheard, nevertheless, the awkwardness was still there. Peeta surmised it might be that finally, Gale had had time to accept the news he had told him about Katniss' condition, but that mattered not for the moment.

After a brief moment to greet and welcome everyone into the study, Gale started to recounted the horrible happenings of the day before, of how Cato could not stop running his mouth for anything, how the King had been so irritable at his son, and how Lord Crane had cunningly tricked his target and then at last, dealing the fatal wound to the obnoxious Prince.

"His Majesty, the King, wants you at the Palace in ten days or less, my Lord." Gale said matter-of-factly.

"How was he faring when you left him, Captain?" asked Peeta carefully. Gale's face was impassive, but his eyes were telling a different story, they harden and flitted towards the door repeatedly.

"I assure you, you are welcome to speak freely in my house, Sir Hawthorne. Whatever it is you have, or wish to say, you are amongst friends." Gale finally looked straight into Peeta's eyes, and fixed him there.

"He wants her there... He wants her to come to the Palace with you... _Unattached_ , mind you. You know the rules after all..." He gave Peeta a meaningful look as he relayed this, "I do not know why, but..." Gale lost his composure, his eyes reflected fear and pain. "The Prince would never stop talking about her, and about how pretty he hoped Prim was, he kept shouting all the lewd things that crossed his mind that he would do to her if given the chance." He spat the words as if they were poison on his tongue.

"The Prince is gone, Captain!" reminded Finnick uneasily, everyone in that room knew who he was referring to, even without him having to mention her name.

"With all due respect my Lord, bringing His Grace and his household to the Capitol, is literally tossing them into the viper's nest; I am aware that my words are treasonous, but, truer words about his Majesty's nature cannot be found!" Said the knight stubbornly, all the disdain he felt clearly reflected in his face.

"So, they will go to the Capitol... Will the lass be expected to dwell in the Royal Palace as well? Legally she will not be bound to the boy anymore; she will have no reason to stay with His Highness when her contract is finished." Said Haymitch, his usual collected demeanor visibly perturbed. "How can even the King possibly justify an _unattached_ peasant girl living in royal quarters?" He asked gruffly.

"That, I know for certain my Lord." This time was Gale's companion, Sir Mitchell, the one to speak. "The sole purpose of my presence here, is to deliver an invitation to Lady Winter Home, straight from His Majesty's royal hand. She is to come to the Palace with all her finance books for an Official Audit of her house, since it has switched owners so suddenly and since the profit margins had almost doubled in such a short amount of time, the King is concerned for the Lady's well-being, he is afraid that people would start rumors about shady business running from her house, and is this concern that has driven him to request her presence in the Capitol... To... Prevent any misinterpretation... Of course, none of this is in anyway public knowledge, not that ownership of the manor has switched, nor the profit margins increased, and it would not be known until the end of the new fiscal year, when taxes are due... But, that is the official reason given for her invitation... She cannot refused the summons, and although I personally, highly doubt her finances would actually be audited, it is best she brings every ledger new and old, pertaining to the house and farm" Mitchell said grimly, it was clear by the sarcastic tone of his explanation, the distrust he felt for the monarch, and unlike Gale, he seems to have no qualms to vent them freely.

"Well, it is a good thing Katniss has been running this house with the precision of well-oiled cogs!" Peeta said irritably. "My Lord Odair, it seems I will need you to revise all the documents concerning the trespass of ownership, and every other pertaining document you think might need a look through." He shared a look with Finnick, who only nodded pensively, but then looked up with a little bit of urgency.

"Actually, sir, I think it will be wise to invite Lady Odair into this little affair, with her knowledge of finances and her understanding of profitability and property values, she would be much better suited to coach the Lady for the possibility of a real audit, Annie is more prepared into this economic topics than myself... This will free me to concentrate into drafting my official Injunction to be introduced before a court of law on behalf of Lady Katniss, in the case that the Duchess still insist on claiming Hagar's Law... I will definitely need to devote extensive time to make her case as air-tight as possible!" Finnick said earnestly, his statement caught everyone's interest; Gale was the first to ask.

"Why would Lady Katniss need and injunction drafted in the first place? Has she been sued by Her Grace?" His voice was tight and full of concern, Haymitch intervened quickly.

"I do not see any impediment on Lady Odair coming on board of this enterprise, as long as she is willing to part from her infant for a few hours every day, in order to have everything in order... In fact, I suggest we go ask her right now, while His Grace gives Captain Hawthorne a tour of his... Study..." He finished lamely; there was not much to tour in the room that had not been already seen by Gale. He had been in this very room during that awful moment during the Yule Festival, when his Catnip made it clear she was not looking to reconcile with him romantically, instead choosing the Duke. At any rate, no one opposed Haymitch, when he gathered his glass surprisingly still full of mead, and stood to lo leave the two men alone, in fact, everyone simply followed suit quietly, not really knowing what to do with themselves.

"Um... We will, go pester old Effie, boy. Take your time." Haymitch said from the threshold, it was clear, Haymitch thought Peeta and Gale needed a moment to clear the air between them, Peeta nodded indicating he had hear him, and then walked away leading the small group through the house.

A moment passed, in which neither men spoke. They simply sat in the chairs they had been occupying since the meeting started.

"Sir Gale... Katniss would want to tell you this herself, but, I know it is my duty to clarify what has happened..."

"I really do not need any details, my Lord... You said my best friend is with child... Your child... And although this is a very unexpected turn of events, I am not naive nor am I blind, as to what has been happening between you and her. I know she loves you, and she chose you. I made my peace with that..." Gale said cautiously.

"Yes... But, this is a really big deal, Sir Gale. Not just because of all that encompasses the reality of having a child, but legally speaking. Katniss, and myself got literally duped into conceiving this child..." Gale gave him a look that spoke of disbelief, so Peeta sighed, and rubbed his face in his hands before continuing. "The Duchess provided false contraceptives both to me and Katniss. We really had no intention on procreating... At least just yet, I was hoping to have secured a divorce from my wife and marriage to my concubine, before children came to the equation, but, alas, things did not work in that manner." He said with an edge of regret.

"You could have not slept with her! That would have been very effective in the prevention of an undesired pregnancy!" Gale spat before he was able to censor himself. The anger in his voice could not be hidden either way. Peeta simply gazed at the younger man, and calmly replayed,

"Perhaps... But, realistically, we managed to abstain as much as we could. Not that I am trying to excuse myself, I know I should have waited, but, we did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law and of society." Peeta informed . "Believe me, sir Gale, staying my hands, when the love of my life is laying, merely an inch away from me, has been the hardest thing I have ever done."

"What is being done to the Duchess for this deception? Is that the reason The Baron is taking of this legal actions, to retaliate?" Gale asked impulsively.

"No... Not really, but, Lord Odair will probably suggest we do that at some point, I am sure." He paused for a moment. "The Duchess intended on Katniss to conceive." Gale only looked at him with a hard stare. "She got completely overjoyed when she heard, Katniss was with child. We soon learned that her plan is to claim the baby as her own once it is born, she would retain all legal rights over the child as if she was the mother, and Katniss would forfeit hers... You see, the Duchess has decided she wants a family, after all this time, and with Sir DeLoach dead, she is more intent on getting that baby for her own..." Gale interrupted Peeta with disgust in his voice.

"Why does she not conceive her own children then? She is still your wife, my Lord, she can claim her rightful place in your chambers any time!" His eyes were hard and angry.

"Well... She cannot, the Duchess is barren, and more importantly, I do take my relationship with Katniss as a common law marriage, she is by all means and purposes, my wife, and I will not seek the warmth of another body for carnal pleasure, I am a faithful man," Peeta said without any emotion, but this tidbit of information made Gale slump back in his chair with mild surprise.

"So she thinks that since Katniss is her employee she can trick her into becoming pregnant and then take her child? How will she even accomplish that? She cannot rightly say she is the mother of another woman's child!" Peeta proceeded to explain about Hagar's law, and about the legal obstacles having a child will bring for him and Katniss if Cashmere got her way claiming the baby as hers. Gale had many more questions that Peeta answered patiently and calmly. He really was under no obligation to explain any of this to the young man, but, he recognized the need to have him understand the delicate state in which Katniss' position stood at the moment, the ramifications of having this child out of wedlock were clear for Gale, but he, like most people, was unaware that a child born to a man by his concubine would be considered lawful, they stayed in the study together until supper time, when Katniss finally knocked on the closed door to call them to join the rest of the party.

 

========================

 

"Gale!"

"Catnip!"

They exclaimed at the same time, then chuckled, then tried again. Peeta simply grinned softly observing the friends' interaction from behind Gale. It was actually nice to see Katniss interact with another person happily; she had been so worried lately he just did not have it in him to feel jealousy of the two friends' carefree laughter or their silly banter.

"Come stranger! There is a nice boar waiting to be eaten!" She said with a bright smile.

"A boar? Do you people even know there are a plethora of other animals that can be hunted and roasted?" Gale exclaimed with a chuckle, Katniss laughed so hard at this, she got a fit of coughs after a moment, Peeta leapt to her assistance, but she waved him and Gale off, with a hand gesture, holding her sides with one hand, and trying to regain her composure.

"Do not be silly!" She swatted at him "This is just but the second boar that has been hunted in our forest since I came to Merch! This one though, was killed with an ax to the head... by a girl!" She said almost bouncing on her heels, clapping excitedly; she looked entirely unlike herself acting like a girly girl.

"Um... I was not aware you were using axes these days..." Said Gale a little disconcerted; Katniss rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Not me! I did not kill this guy... Johanna did!" She huffed in annoyance. "Heavens, Gale! You have to keep up! You are usually smarter that this! Come on, I am incredibly hungry and thirsty!" She said waving the two men impatiently.

Gale shot Peeta a questioning look, clearly confused at Katniss reaction, "What can I say? The Lady has an appetite that would put to shame most grown men!" Said Peeta with a shrug, before happily follow his beloved.

Gale simply stared at the couple's backs, "That is not... I... What did just happened?" He muttered under his breath thoroughly confused. He caught up with Peeta quick enough and asked him quietly, so Katniss would not hear.

"Why did she get all irritated about me thinking it was her kill! Why is she so annoyed about Mason's game?" Peeta looked at the younger man in the eyes, and repressed a chuckle, he was convinced Gale and Katniss had to be related somehow; there was no way, two people could be so similar in so many ways, and not share some kind of ancestry.

"Gale... I think I rather stay out of this one, if it is alright with you, my friend... Katniss will not be very happy if I say something I was not supposed to say... And then I will have a crazy, angry, woman in my hands... Now that she is pregnant she can be quite scary!" Peeta muttered raising an eyebrow, not quite humorously, not quite seriously.

Gale could not keep asking questions, because they were already walking into the dining room, where everyone was already seated at the table, waiting for their hosts. Gale scowled and frowned mightily as soon as he spotted the Duchess seated next to a woman he recognized as her confidant, Clove Collins, they sat two places from Peeta, Lady Trinket sat immediately next to Peeta's head of the table chair, and Katniss sat on the other end of table, opposite Peeta, he noticed there where exactly three seats open, the two at each end of the table and one right between Dame Mason and Sir Mitchell, he really did not gave it much thought other than he wished Dame Mason would swap chairs with him, as she was placed next to Katniss, but, he knew it would be impolite to ask her to do such a thing, plus he was sure the placements had not been arbitrarily chosen. He was not wrong, Katniss herself had insisted Gale sat next to Johanna.

"Excuse me, my Lady, but... May I inquire as to where the rest of my men are dinning tonight?" Asked Gale a little sheepishly, he had not stopped to think about accommodations or rations for his small contingency of Peacekeepers when they left the Capitol, but now that they were here, he wondered if the size of the group he brought with him had been a bit exaggerated.

"Oh... We have set up a mess hall in one of the barracks in the farm side; their rations tonight will not be anything to write home about, but, hopefully, we can have a hunting party set out tomorrow morning, so we can bring in some more game. I really do not want to rely on just my farm animals, if that is alright with you, Captain." Katniss responded giving him a pointed look, he knew she was also thinking his group of peacekeepers was too large, he smiled weakly at her before thanking her for her hospitality, and promising they would make that hunting trip happen.

Dinner was a subdued affair, there was little conversation, until dessert had been served, then they all moved to the library to enjoy some spirits and innocuous conversation. Gale took his chance to catch up with his friend.

"Catnip... Can we have a word? Privately?" He whispered scanning the room surreptitiously. Katniss had seen Johanna do that very thing often enough, to realized all knights most have that surveillance need ingrained in their psyches, for they did it even in the most unnecessary of scenarios, like for example, right now!

"Sure, Gale. Come, we should be able to sit in that corner, and have enough privacy." She said easily, pointing a finger to a pair of comfortable looking benches, at the other end of the room, although Gale would have preferred going into a different room just the two of them, he understood the protocol.

Once out of earshot, he proceeded to talk about everything and nothing all at the same time, making sure the topics stayed innocent and happy, he gave her a full account on each one of his siblings antics, then he talked about his mother, and his duties at the Palace. They laughed, and joked, she told him about her mother and Prim, and life as Lady Winter Home, she talked about raising her own horse and hunting dog; They both knew they were just stalling, that were a few very uncomfortable conversations waiting to be had, and neither was very eager to broach any of the subjects. But, at the end, after the laughter had receded, and a lull in conversation fell on them, she simply whispered softly, looking at the lace handkerchief in her hands, she was playing with,

"I am with child."

Gale sighed, and fixed his grey eyes on a far away, nonexistent point.

"I know. The Duke informed me, first thing when he had a chance." She looked at him, biting the inside of her lower lip, expecting more from him... She knew there was more, to be said. "How... How are you feeling?" He finally asked after a long pause, he shook his head and returned his gaze back at hers. He refused to drag her through the mud, she was his friend and a lady, and he still loved her, even if she was carrying another man’s child in her belly. So he chose to traverse the higher road.

"I am alright..." She said with a relieved sigh, "Morning sickness is a bitch, and I could practically eat as much as your whole troop of Peacekeepers, which sounds contradictory, but, I guess that is the miracle of life, is it not? Stuff your face until there is not a morsel left in the house, and then puke it all out!" She laughed uncomfortably. But, he only felt concerned about her. "Oh, do not look at me like I am a sick puppy... I am quite alright; everything is going perfectly fine... Everything would be perfectly fine if it was not for the rubbish situation The Duke and I are in..." She gave him a shaky smile, and he tried to return it for her sake, he realized he had no heart or strength to judge her, or feel disappointed on her, not when she looked so vulnerable and at the brink of tears.

"Oh, Catnip... I know things are... Not great... But." He stopped and took a deep breath, "I also know everything will work out just fine in the end." He smiled at her sweetly.

"How do you know that? You cannot know for certain!" She said almost breaking down in tears.

"I just know that life has a way of... You know... Fixing itself? None of our suffering can last more than a season or two... And then... we all find that there is still good in the world and that we can partake of that good!" He paused again for a moment and gave his friend another smile, this conversation was killing him, but, he would be here for her now, like he had never been before.

"Gale, I am expecting a baby. This was never part of my plan... I never envisioned myself doing this, I never wanted it... But now that it is here, now that I know it is happening, I am petrified with fear at the prospect of losing everything... The child, the father, the love... Because we do love each other and I do love his child... I have not even met it, or felt it move deep in my womb, but I already love it so much... And it seems like everyone wants a piece of it..." Tears were streaming down her cheeks now.

Johanna, always observant, decided it was enough, she gave a damn it was her commanding officer with her friend, she was going to march right to them and make him step away from her crying friend, and she was doing exactly that, when she felt a warm, strong hand pull her back by the elbow, she was surprised to find Peeta's soft blue eyes flit between her and the men he was conversing with; she should have known he had been keeping an eye out as well, even when he seemed to be immersed in whatever conversation he was holding with Finnick, Haymitch, Thom and Mitchell.

"Leave her be... She needs an outlet, and Hawthorne is that at the moment. She has not really expressed her feelings freely to anyone, and I really want her to." He said before she could protest, so she joined the conversation with the men.

Meanwhile, Gale and Katniss seemed to have tired themselves out with just twenty minutes worth of conversation; granted, it was probably the most heavily felt conversation they had had in years, but, he was exhausted from his travels and all the mental stress, and she was just a pregnant woman that needed to put her feet up and pass out in a comfy bed. She finally excused herself, and left Effie in charge, show her new guest to their chambers, but, Gale just argued that he did not need any special treatment, he would be in the barracks with his men, but, as Peeta was royalty now, and his job was to bodyguard him until he got a more permanent detail, he officially stationed Johanna in the main house, logically, because she was well rested, having been there for a few days prior to the mess that had been the murder of Cato. The truth was, he did not looked forward to spend a night in a house he knew Katniss to share a chamber, and a bed with another man... To even think of what could they be doing under the curtain of darkness, at the dead of night, that resulted in the conception of a child... Well... it was just torture.

 

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It had been almost a week, since Captain Gale and his small troop showed up in Winter Home.

To say that it had been awkward, and a strange time, with all those men just standing around, like sentries, did not convey at all the feelings of the inhabitants of the house and farm. Explaining things to Mrs. Everdeen and Prim, had not been pleasant either, yet life did not took any breaks.

Security protocol dictated that Gale had to interview each one of the laborers in Winter Home, as well as any outside providers of things that were not produced in Winter Home, such as honey, and certain vegetables, or rice, sugar and flour. Every visitor had to go through this interrogation as well, and their wares scrutinized, all in the name of safety. The safety of the only remaining heir to the throne of Panem was a matter of national security.

Peeta had given Katniss and Gale leave to go out into the woods to hunt together. He had been reluctant at first, but when she just submissively accepted the rejection to the idea, with her head bowed and a resigned sigh, he put himself in her shoes, and suddenly felt suffocated and trapped, so, he sent them out that very afternoon, just for an hour, and just barely far into the woods that they could simply walk back and forth. When she came back home with a satchel full of dead squirrels and Gale's belt laden with dead turkeys and rabbits, and twin grins painting their faces, he knew he had done the right thing.

Of course, he and Cashmere had the biggest argument to date because of the hunting trip, she did not approved of Katniss going into the woods to hunt at all, let alone without Peeta by her side. Peeta surprised everyone by saying he would trust Gale Hawthorne with more than his own life, he would trust him with Katniss's life, and even their unborn child's life. The argument ended with Cashmere screaming "You will get eaten alive in the Capitol for being so trustful and naive!" then stomping angrily away to her wing of the house.

"Why do you put up with the likes of her, Catnip?" Gale asked frowning as he plucked a handful of feathers from one of the turkeys that would grace the table that evening.

"Who?" She asked just as she gutted a rabbit.

"The witch... Who else?"

"Oh... Well... as it turns out, we are kin... The very last blood relation we have, actually... she is my Mother’s second cousin, and really, she is not completely bad when she wants to be alright... I am not saying her presence is a joy to have imposed in your house, it certainly has been terrible, but, sometimes she can be quite fine." She said yanking back the pelt of the animal in her hand, then suddenly her face scrunched up, and her skin turned a bit green, she simply dropped the rabbit in a pot that had been set to her side and ran to just outside of Gale's range of vision, behind the half wall that made the fence enclosing the Kitchen gardens and back entrance; she retched loudly for a good two minutes into a nearby bush. She could not wait to be done with this part of the pregnancy.

Gale was not sure how to react to the surprising news about their familial ties... or to the vomiting. That had always been the one thing he would never help his momma with the children, he truly hated cleaning up puke, and he had no idea how to console anyone in that situation either. So when she finally returned, and sat back down, and went to work gutting another critter, he just pretended she had not just run to do that... Which she was clearly avoiding mentioning as well, so, completely ignoring the involuntary reaction, suited both of them just right.

"I thought your mother had no family left! How did you figure it out?" He said, "And more importantly, how can such a nice, proper woman, such as your mother, be related to the biggest bitch in the kingdom?"

Katniss gave Gale a reproachful look, and then responded flatly, "It is a long story to recount... And, Cashmere has had a tough life. Too many bad things happened to her and her family. I am sure that whether she had grown up in a different environment, she would not have been... You know... A total witch!" She floundered around for a suitable word, waving her bloody knife around in the air as she searched and settled for 'witch'.

" _Bitch_... It is alright to call her a _bitch_." Both of them turned around to find Prim standing behind their bench, a white shawl wrapped around her body, her hair tightly woven into a long, golden french braid, and a very amused smirk on her pretty features.

"Prim!" Gale gasped. He had not seen her in possibly five months, and she had changed quite a bit since last he saw her. She looked like a proper little lady, in her dark blue simple gown that made her eyes pop, and her skin glow. "You look... Wow!" He said standing up, discarding his turkey into a different pot, while he tried to embrace Prim.

"I see you are as articulated as ever!" She quipped. He smiled at her, and then held her at arm’s length to watch her better.

"I did not know _you_ were this _articulated_! In fact I am surprise you have just made use of such a grown up word... The B word no less." Said Gale softly. Katniss laughed at that, and Prim took this as an invitation to be as crass as ever.

"The B word? What the hell are you talking about? I have used the word bitch about a million times by now, and not just that one... Katniss is the goody-two-shoes, who would never cussed for fuck,"

To describe Gale's face of astonishment would be to spend the whole day trying to explain the inner-works of a wormhole in space, there is just no way to do it justice. Katniss of course almost fell of her bench for laughing so hard at Gale's confounded expression. She was being so loud, that soon Johanna and Peeta poked their heads out.

Katniss, still clutching her sides, tried to explain that Gale had finally met the real Primrose Everdeen, and her filthy mouth.

"Well... Welcome to my world, Sir Gale... I am surrounded by Ladies with a very colorful lexicon. They even make use of some expletives in the most clever ways... I must admit, it is impressive how extensive their vocabulary is, they would put a sailor to shame!" Said Peeta both in amusement and irritation, he was not sure which one was winning.

"I apologize if Dame Mason had used foul language around sweet Prim..."

"What?" Spat Johanna angrily, “What is that supposed to mean exactly?”

“That you, dame Mason, are known for the use of impolite language, and impressionable maidens such a Primrose here, might get the wrong idea that it is amusing or worse, _alright_ for them to speak in such ways” said Gale with a hard voice. Prim was about to open her mouth to argue, she abhorred being treated like she was a delicate porcelain doll, and thought it was unfair of Gale to treat Johanna as the opposite, but Johanna beat her to it.

"For your information, _my Captain_...” she said with as much venom as she had, “I have been the one to learned different uses for a couple of terms from _sweet_ Prim! She is her own person, and I am sorry everyone has always tried to fit her into this dainty mold, she surely resents... I am not ashamed for who I am, and I love who Primrose is! Just because we are women, does not mean we cannot express ourselves however the fuck we want! And I care very little of who you are, _Sir_ , I refused to let you put me down or insult me with your condescending ways, I fought very hard to be where I am in life, to let any man, diminish my self-worth, just because it is not the norm, or you feel intimidated by my personality... As a matter of fact, you can go fuck yourself, _my Captain_!" Gale had gone mute, his eyes darted to every face around him, everyone was a little shocked but avoiding his gaze, he was completely unsure of how to handle this very public insubordination of one of his knights, but he did not dared say a word in order to not bring more of Johanna's wrath out upon himself. She was so angry, all she could do, was to turn around and stomp back into the house.

There was a second of pure tension, before Katniss cleared her throat meekly, and then muttered.

"I think you should go talk to her Gale... And please do not do it as her commanding officer, I think she would probably murder you if you try to throw your rank back at her... To be honest, I do not want to deal with a murder investigation in my house." 

Prim, was just playing with the frills of her shawl, so she weakly waved bye to Gale as he zoomed into the house, in search of the angry woman. Peeta wished him luck.

Neither Gale, nor Johanna came for supper that evening. Prim and Mrs. Everdeen had joined them for dinner, but left without seeing Gale that night. As it turns out... after lunch the next day, Lady Clove had had the bad fortune to miss a turn in the third floor looking for a privy... she simply walked in, on a very nude Johanna and Gale, spent, asleep, sprawled in bed, a mess of knotted limbs and sheets... Clove surmised this was Johanna's chamber, and she briefly wondered if they had been at it since last they were seen arguing with each other heatedly the previous afternoon. She mercifully found the bathroom soon after rushing away from the graphic display of impropriety, she quickly did her business, and returned to tell the rest of the women of her findings, while they were performing menial chores in the drawing room, like mending, rocking Baby Finn to sleep, and simply reading a book about crochet patterns.

Katniss giggled the whole time, with the fluster recounts of Clove, and decided to go find Peeta soon, to share triumphantly this piece of gossip with him.

 

=========================

 

Finnick, had announced that he would be taking his leave the next morning, after Nanny Mags had finished feeding Katniss and Annie breakfast, as the old woman would not allow them to leave until after she was satisfied the mothers were well fed.

As usual, Peeta had gotten sad about the prospect of his friends leaving, but, he guessed, they had been visiting for longer than they had actually planned on, plus, he and Katniss had been summoned to Court and would be leaving soon.

It was actually somewhat a surprise, when Finnick called the masters of Winter Home to the study, for a last meeting before parting. He and Annie had already done as much as they were going to do about the legal documentation of the finances of the house. Annie had been excellent as a financial advisor, she had felt like a real businesswoman for a bit, but at the end of five days buried in numbers filled books, she decided she was grateful for her full time job as a mother to baby Finn.

"So... Let us talk about that loophole, shall we?" said Finnick as soon as the door had closed behind Peeta. This got Katniss' undivided attention.

"Let us!" She said seriously, but trying to keep her enthusiasm at bay.

"What about the loophole?" Said Peeta a bit more apprehensive.

"So, I found a very huge one!" Said Finnick easily, taking a seat in one of the couches by the little receiving area, instead of the desk. He crossed his leg over the other casually, while sipping on a glass of whiskey. He smiled at Peeta's expression.

"How big?" asked his friend carefully. Katniss had found her seat at the arm chair opposite Finn.

"Is big enough that the whole contract could be contested, which means we need to tread carefully," said Finnick furrowing his brow for a moment before elaborating. "If Lady Katniss finds herself out of the contract, then she will only be considered your mistress, thus stripping the child of any legality, just another child conceived out of wedlock."

"I thought I was already out of the contract, It was forfeited the moment Peeta got declared Prince of Panem, since royals cannot have concubines" It was now Katniss' turn to use caution in her voice.

"Oh, no! That is another thing I needed to address, but, for now just know, that there has to be an official proclamation ceremony, sort of like a crowning ceremony, were Peeta will become a fully-fledged prince, for now, he is still just the Duke... Of course, he will not lose his title even when he becomes Prince officially, which is good, because it legally protects the contract under a technicality, let us call it another loophole!" He smiled serenely, and Peeta felt something akin to relief when he heard this. "We really do not want either of you to break the contract before you too are married... And even then, there is a clause I am working on to protect the child's interest, in the unlikely case things do not work out the way we expect them to"

"How do you mean?" Katniss asked, starting to feel anxious again.

"In case the child comes before you have legally become Mrs. Mellark... I have been working in... Um... Yet, another type of contract, were you give full custody of the child to Peeta, until he can transfer maternal rights to a wife of his choosing... This has absolutely no precedent, and I really am just fiddling with the law here, but..." He shook his head, "Better to be prepared. We do not want any surprises or unexpected situations to keep your baby from what is a birthright." He tried to smile at a very confused looking Katniss, "It will all work out just fine at the end! I am sure of it!" He said encouragingly.

"Alright... Now that we know you are preparing for something that might not even happen... Go back to the loophole thing... The one about Hagar's Law." Said Peeta sensing Katniss discomfort.

"Well... It is not much of a loophole, as it is cause to dismiss the contract completely, and have enough leverage to extort any amount of money from your arks... which will be very bad and we are trying to stay away of" Katniss' eyes grew to saucer size, she panicked for a second and gave Peeta a look.

"I swear I do not want any coin from you... Even if I have ample reason to ask for it, and even if the opportunity and means to get it,  got handed over to me in a silver platter. I do not care for your wealth, I want you... Only you... I know how to be poor and hungry, but... I do not know how to be without you" he held her face in his hands, and kissed her nose tenderly, trying to erase her fears.

"I know darling, I know! That is why I have already made arrangements about that kind of unsavory issues... You will never know hardship ever again, even if I die..."

"If you die, I will surely know the worse hardship, Peeta! Do not ever say anything like that again!" She snapped. "I do not think I will have strength to mourn you, if you were to leave to world, I would soon follow..."

Finnick cleared his throat loudly, just when Peeta had wrapped his hands around her waist and neck and was about to deliver a sickeningly sweet or romantic retort, and most likely kissed her silly; Finnick wanted to remind them he was still there, before things got out of hand right in front of his terrorized eyes; and there was still a very important topic of discussion on the table. The lovers looked back at him, Peeta a bit annoyed, but Finnick ignored him, and continued, pretending he had not just witness his friends' sappy exchanged.

"So!" He smiled cheerfully. "Loophole! Since there was specific mentioned of contraceptives in the contract, clearly named and used specified in writing, this will imply automatically that the concubine was **not** to conceive; since the meaning is implicit when the nature of the medicine is clearly revealed, is natural that the Concubine's understanding would be, that there is no chance of conception, therefor no legal opening for Hagar's Law to even be in any way discussed;" he paused and took a sip of his drink, "Now, this could work both ways, and serve as a double-edge sword if you will, because it could be misinterpreted as a total disregard of the contract on the part of the concubine, but! And I am extremely happy about this small chance of luck! The Duchess actually confessed to have tampered and switched the medication and other contraception devices given to the both of you in separate occasions, and she was so nice to confess this in front of so many witnesses, the argument is air tight!" Finnick's smile was face-splitting big, he looked like a little boy who had been given license to shop in a sweetshop unhindered by adult supervision "It is counterintuitive to think that having measures in place to avoid pregnancy would be conducive to a surrogate mother situation, because after all, the Duchess never, ever mentioned she was interested in changing the contract to include a clause for surrogacy, therefore if she even tried to come with an amendment to the contract to include it now, it will fall under its own weight!" He exclaimed happily.

"Well! That was a long and through explanation!" said Peeta with a broad smile. "It seems like you did it again my friend! Risen to the occasion and become the greatest hero in this story of ours! I certainly feel like you have literally just administered the kiss of life to me, my friend! You have revived me!" Katniss smiled unsure. 

"There is a 'but', somewhere, is it not?" She asked demurely.

Peeta frowned, and Finnick chuckled unconcerned, "You are a smart dainty cookie, miss Katniss! Well, I will have to make this argument into an actual injunction, just to stay ahead, and prevent anything to even slip under way. But, if I do it right, it will be fast and painless and no one will be any wiser!" Finnick seemed at ease, relaxed and very confident, she wished she could feel just like him, but until he had informed her that the injunction had been introduced to whatever judicial entity it needed to go, and it was accepted, she would not, _could_ not, relax. She caressed her barely there baby bump, and wished she could keep it there safely forever.

 

=========================

 

Time is a curious thing to behold. At the one hand, it feels like the rules measuring time can be so arbitrary, on the other hand, the rules make perfect sense. The problem is, that the passing of time is such a relative nuisance, it progresses torturously slow for a person that would rather time went faster, but it would virtually fly by for the ones who wished it stood still and allowed then a calmer pace.

Ten days had passed way too fast, and the same time felt like forever. Ten days was still not enough time to put Peter Mellark, Duke of Merch's whole life neatly away; there were still so many loose ends, too many unfinished businesses, too large a number of inconclusives, he was leaving behind. This was never going to be an easy transition, he knew that, he was too settled in his ways, and now that he was faced with his birthright, he realized how much he despised being part of it. He never, ever pictured himself as Prince, and Heir Apparent, that had always been Cato's place, he had never, ever wanted this to happen to him, he did not fancy being a King, his job was to be a Duke and stay the hell away from the Capitol and his uncle as much as possible.

But, now, he was riding right into the viper's nest, as Sir Gale had so eloquently called it ten days prior, he was rushing straight into the place he had always strived to avoid, and worse, he was dragging with him, into that evil world, the purest thing in his life! he had prayed every night since learning of Cato's death, that his Katniss' purity would not be tainted by the depravity of life in Court. He held her hand tighter just thinking about it. She had fallen asleep soon after they had gotten into the coach; she had said her farewells to her mother and sister, promising that she would return in a month, as Peeta had practically commanded she would, he knew the King had no grounds to force her to stay in the Capitol past a month, and as much as it would kill him to stay away from her, he decided that her place was in Winter Home; without the protection her concubine contract provided her, the best way to keep her safe, was to let her retreat to her house in Merch, so, it was decided, and Cashmere had begrudgingly agreed, Katniss would return to Winter Home the 30th day of her stay, and possibly carry on the rest of her pregnancy in the safety of Winter Home. Peeta would come visit as regularly as he could, until his divorce was final and he could marry Katniss.

Cashmere was also aware of this part of his plan, and had not either disputed nor accepted this, she had actually not even volunteered her thoughts on the matter, not even one comment to show her stance. Clove was most worried about this lack of acknowledgement on this regard. This was probably the reason why, Lady Clove had requested the Duke, she and the Duchess to be send to the Capitol ahead, instead of at the end of the mandated ten days, no one opposed, they left three days before Peeta and Katniss did, with part of the peacekeeper force that Gale had brought as guardians. Peeta figured, Clove, must have been anxious to return to her family more than anything, so it was a surprise to see her, on a handsome horse next to a Knight, just outside the city limits.

Clove had a dark robe obscuring her features, but both Peeta and Katniss could tell her apart from any maiden in the kingdom after having her shacked up in their house for almost two months; her mount was nervously flipping back and forth, but this seemed to not bother the knight's horse in the least, as it just merely stood there proudly, like a good military horse. Gale shouted a couple of orders to his men. The convoy halted, and then Peeta heard two sets of hooves rush past the carriage; with the outmost care, as to not wake his beloved from slumber, he slid a curtain open, just to see outside his carriage window. He recognized Boggs as the knight, and saw Gale and Johanna talked to him and Clove.

Peeta could not make out what were they saying. Clove looked disturbed, maybe that accounted for her mount's anxiousness, any animal can feel that sort of things better than humans ever could. Peeta took an annoyed breath in, slightly moving his body, this made Katniss stir, and finally wake.

"Why did we stop?" She yawned.

"Not very sure, Sweetheart. Sir Gale is talking to Sir Boggs, and we are about thirty minutes to the city circle and the royal palace." Peeta said softly, as he caressed her cheek lovingly. "Did you have a good enough nap?" There was no teasing in his voice.

"My body aches something awful, and I could certainly sleep a few more hours, but, right now, I just want to get off this shoe box we are confined to and stretch my legs!" She exclaimed opening the door without giving him a chance to either stop her, or even say as much as a word to her.

She flung herself into the dirt path, and groaned when she landed unsteadily, Peeta rushed after her immediately, and Mitchell who had apparently, been left guarding the coach was at their side right away. This activity did not go unnoticed by the other knights and peacekeepers. Everyone was alert despite the fatigue most of them reflected in their faces.

She only took inventory of her aching muscles, and set of walking towards the cluster of knights. Without much preamble, she blurted out. "So what terrible news have you brought, that could not wait for us to cross into the city?" Gale gave her an irritated look, and answered anyway, except, he directed his speech at Peeta, who finally had encircled Katniss' waist with his arm.

"My Lord... Change of plans. The King has repossessed the Duchess' abode, claiming she does not need it anymore, she has been moved to your designated apartments at the palace... But, the news that is troublesome about this is what she has reported..." Gale stopped for a moment, and looked at Katniss. "Perhaps, my Lady should return to the carriage?" He said tearing away his gaze from his friend and boring his grey eyes into Peeta's.

"The hell I will! You speak now Gale Hawthorne, or so help me God, I will run your leg with one of my arrows!" She snapped angrily, "I am part of this as much as Peeta is, I want to be informed!"

Gale looked at Peeta once more, and Peeta just shrugged, he was too tired to fight her off, and he knew she would force it out of him sooner or later, he nodded. "Very well, the King has been kidnapping maidens in the past week, sometimes two or three at a time, peasant and noble alike, all of childbearing age, but some as young as sixteen. He defiles them, then returns the ones he does not like to their families, and those are considered the lucky ones. The Duchess has reported loud begging and screaming from the king's side chambers..."

"And last night she could not take it anymore... She went in there herself to save the poor soul the pain..." Clove interrupted brusquely. "She said, he was not even using his own body, but some torturing devices she had never set eyes on before. She begged him to take her in place of the creature he had been using, she said the maid's thighs were bloodied and soiled when she was taken away by Brutus." Clove did sound distressed. "He did not do anything to her Grace she could not handle, but... I had to call in her physician this morning for the other girl... My Lord, my Lady Cashmere sent me here today, not to ask, but to tell you, Miss Everdeen is to not set foot in the Palace, not to stay overnight, not alone, and not unless she had been summoned with an escort." Katniss could feel her eyes burning into her, under the cloak she wore. There was firmness in her voice, and whatever Katniss wanted, she knew on instinct, Cashmere was the one to win this hand.

Peeta rubs his face harshly, and in a very strain voice says, _ **"You go along, thinking you can deal with it, thinking maybe they're not so bad, and then you..."**_ He pauses for a moment, sighs heavily and  then directs to Gale, "What do your new plans dictate, Captain?" Said Peeta with determination.

"Miss Everdeen is to stay in the only protected house left in all of the Capitol, Victor's Village! I will station guards around the perimeter of the property, and if it is alright with my Lord, I will also bring my own family to stay with Katniss, and then they will all go to Merch, as her new employees... I want eyes on her at all times. And the only eyes I can trust are those from my immediate family!" said Gale with authority.

"Done! We will go to Victor's Village first to drop off Lady Katniss. I hope to find your family there already, captain, so I suggest you send word to them right away."

In less than five minutes a messenger was dispatched to alert the Hawthornes of their new living arrangements, and then to escort them to the Duke's house. Katniss felt like she would be sick, and had to take a sit for a moment.

"If that man ever tries to put a hand on my sister..." She mutters after actually vomiting from thinking too much of the horrors that awaits them.

"He will lose that hand; I swear it to you right now!" Peeta finished the sentence kneeling in front of her, cleaning her lips from her sick. She nodded.

"Although I would forever be grateful if you did defend us in such a gallant manner, I would never wish you to betray your King and face the gallows for me" she said shaking her head, a new bout of vomit made her lunge forward. After she was done he brought her back to sit away from the mess, cleaning her pretty face once more.

The rest of the caravan had approach the couple and heard their traitorous words, but a slight nod passed between the group, and it did not go unnoticed by Katniss.

"What is it?" She asks hoarsely.

"Catnip... I think is time you learn about the rumors of war surrounding the current monarchy... It will not be long before the populace rises in arms against the tyrannical King..."

"Rapist! Do not forget to call him what he really is! A rapist that deserves to be eaten alive by dogs for what he has done to all those poor, innocent maids!" snapped Clove, "I hate that bastard! I truly do!" She said with tears in her eyes, "The maid Cashmere rescued is my second cousin once removed! She told Cashmere when she was allowed to see her, that she found out how the Prince had poisoned Lady Crane... It had been Brutus's lover, a woman most people fear for her unusual teeth shaped like fangs, all of them... She has been accused of practicing witchcraft, but I know better... She is just a coin grabbing wicked excuse of a person! She told the Prince about the herbs and teas he needed; now she is counseling the King as well!" She spat the words in a rage.

"Katniss, darling... With this news, I expect more people will turn against the King. He cannot expect to take the daughters of our people, rich or poor and use them in such a villainous way and not get punished in some fashion..." Peeta paused for a moment. "Katniss... Lady Clove..." He said looking at them both. "We are part of the Rebellion against the Crown, and against Coriolanus Snow's kingdom of fear. We will fight to free our people from his clutches and all his sins against our children and families... We are inviting you into this rebellion, to participate in any capacity you may see fit, you are valuable to us and we will protect you, we just need you both to swear you will not betray our cause..."

"I swear allegiance to the cause! So help me God, if He finds a lie in me right now, may he struck me and kill me right here!" said Clove resolutely right away.

"I am in as well! I will help!" Said Katniss still behind a sore throat. Peeta peer at both women intensely for a moment, and the relaxed, saying,

"Very well, then I will allow Captain Hawthorne to explain"

 

=======================

 

After leaving Katniss and her luggage at Victor's Village, the newly appointed prince, completed his journey to his new dwelling. The Palace was looking sad, dark and foreboding. Peeta felt relieved at having left Katniss at his family house. They had left Mitchell to stand guard until Gale could send a replacement, everyone was fatigued and hungry, but, no one complained about it.

Gale's mother and sister had been at Victor's Village when they arrived, Rory and Vick arrived a few minutes later with a few meager possessions, they decided that if they needed anything they would just go back home to get it. Hazelle Hawthorne had cried big, relieved tears when she finally set eyes on Katniss. The younger woman cried as well, as soon as her best friend's mother had her strong motherly arms around her, the first thing that fell from her lips and into Hazelle's ears was "I do not want to mother a child in this awful place!" Hazelle of course had no idea about Katniss pregnancy, but soon enough she was informed and she not lost time pampering the mother-to-be.

Peeta felt drained of all energy as he left his carriage, and got met by his wife and a host of delegates representing the King he did not recognized. Cashmere looked more sick and tired than he remember ever seeing her, but he figured it must be all her effort to keep innocent girls away from the palace, for once in her life, Cashmere was doing things to protect someone other than herself, and he felt horrible just thinking the price she was paying in order to do so; so, when he finally stood next to her, he put his hand around her nape, and pulled her forehead to his lips, in possibly the only sincerely, caring gesture he had ever had towards her.

She was so tired, so sad, so spent, she did not even startled, she soaked up the tenderness and accepted it without question, and then because she felt relieved to have him there, she stepped closer to him and leaned her whole body against his. He asked her quietly if she was alright, and that was when her tears came, and could not be staunched up any longer. He put his arms around her shoulders protectively. Anyone looking at the scene, would mistake their actions for true marital feelings, there was nothing but and understanding that things had gone completely wrong and that neither of them were prepared nor equipped to face them alone, his heart constricted in his chest, he knew now, there was no way he could simply discard Cashmere even if they divorced, he would always have to take care of her, no matter what, and oddly enough, he was alright with that.

"Let us go inside, My Lady. I must see my beloved uncle, and make my presence known to him... Then I might have a nice long night with my wife in our new apartments! What say you, my pet?" He said with a benign smile looking down at her. She wiped her face hastily, understanding the meaning of his words, tonight he was requesting her to come to him, but he was not requesting her to sleep with him, tonight she would get a reprieve from the horrors of being with the King, but her pretty green eyes bulged a little,

"My Lord... But, what if we get company? The King has ordered the Great Hall to be set for a big banquette lots of prominent people are expected to attend with their families!" Her fear was evident, the King would have a plethora of maids to choose from, who knew which one would have the horrible luck to be snatched for the night if Cashmere did not make herself available. Peeta did not really understand why would the King not get a girl of his liking and refused the more matured Cashmere, but, if she felt that it was her duty, to keep the maidens of Panem safe and innocent, by God, he would help her stay safe as well.

"We will see, wife, we will see!" Was his response.

 

=========================

 

The Throne room was deserted, except for the King himself, and a mass of muscles, Peeta recognized as Brutus, Cato's old bodyguard and friend; it now seemed as his services have been absorbed by his uncle.

"Nephew!" The king's voice boomed in the virtually empty space. He sat straighter in his throne.

"My liege!" Peeta murmured bowing so low he almost touched the polished marble floors with the tip of his fingers.

"It is about time you came to your rightful home, boy! Welcome, welcome my son!" The King said happily. His face was merry and rosy cheek, his flowy white hair and beard neatly trim and combed. His smile seemed so sincere, so inviting, Peeta shivered at how awful it most have been to grow up with this man as father, if it was not for how dark was the usually sunny palace was, he could have sworn the King had not even noticed his own son was dead.

Cashmere slacked behind Peeta, her steps slow and reluctant as if she really loathed being there, she was not even sporting her fake brilliant smile; Peeta started to get worried about her, he could see the cracks showing in her unfeeling façade.

"My dear boy, where is that beautiful acquaintance of yours, Miss Everdeen? I was so much looking forward to welcome her to my home and personally show her, her accommodations!" The King's voice sounded genuine, another shiver raked down Peeta's spine, how many poor, unsuspecting maidens had been lured by his calming voice, harmless appearance and benign gaze to then be crushed like mere vermin?

"Oh, she had procured herself different accommodations, Sire, as she is not part of the royal family, it would be unacceptable for her to occupy the palace. But I am undoubtedly sure, she would appreciate the gesture." Peeta said with ease. "I am sure she will visit Court at some point tomorrow..."

"NO!" The King snapped. Cashmere and the few guards and attendants in the room cringed at the angry outburst of the old monarch. Peeta did not even flinch, he was somehow expecting this reaction, but Snow calmed himself down reeling himself back in, he gave his nephew an amicable smile and continued as if nothing had happened. "My dearest nephew... You might be next in line to take over after I pass on, but, make no mistake, Peter, my boy, that little whore of yours is part of your family now, she will come live at the palace, and I will get all the time I need to learn about her sister." Both Peeta and Cashmere visibly reacted at the Kings words. "Oh please, do not look so startled, I am old, and I see no need to pretend anything anymore. My Cato, my only son is dead, I have no direct heir, and it is nothing personal nephew, but I much rather hand down my throne to my own child... I need a bride... I am not interested in your little bed companion, I do not want another set of seconds after my nephew," he said as his eyes flitted quickly to Cashmere and back to Peeta's astonished features. "You can keep the lovely Miss Everdeen all to yourself, as long as I have access to dear Cashmere and I get to marry the younger Everdeen, I need an uncontested virgin in order to procreate" Cashmere's face that had been downcast this whole time, shoot up at the mention of her name, her face registered fear, disbelief and disgust for a second, before locking her gaze on her husband, his features where hard and dare she say it, rage-full?

"I am not sure I am very comfortable with that arrangement, my Lord. My wife has served you for years now, I believe she deserves an early retirement, and my ward is much too young to be wedded" Peeta said calmly. King Snow balled up his fist in anger.

"You dare to deny me?" He hissed dangerously. "I am the King!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, a craze look overpowered his gaze, but Peeta regained his calmed demeanor and his uncle's outburst did not seem to have fazed him one bit.

"Not at all, Sire... Just merely stating my honest feelings, after all you stated yourself the futility of pretending otherwise" Peeta said flatly. "I am aware that you have every power to make anything you please happen. I just only ask of you for my ward, time to age some more, mature a bit." Peeta was toeing into dangerous waters, but at this point there was not much he would not try in a ditch effort. At least, the King had told him upfront what his intentions were, that was more than he could have hoped for.

"I want your whore in this palace tonight!" The King hissed, "for your welcoming banquette, she has to be ready to sleep in your bed, I want her ready to move into your apartments permanently, this is not a request, and it is not up for discussion... You and your wife shall leave now!" Peeta's face remained impassive, although there was a storm raging inside his chest and mind, they had to act fast, think of something, he stretched his hand out to grasp Cashmere's, she was a little taken aback by the gesture, but he had decided, he would protect her as well, as much as he could.

 

==========================

 

After their nasty encounter with the King, Peeta had no choice but to move Katniss out of Victor's Village and into the palace; he really did not want to part with her originally, but, he could not risk his Uncle cornering her, and doing God knew what to her; Cashmere had not spoken many words, only sobbing that she hated how the King was even more perverted now than ever before. Neither him, nor Cashmere were eager to allow anything to happened to Katniss, and by the way Cashmere had almost choked when she heard the old bastard talk about Prim, she hated the idea of poor innocent Prim here even more.

By the time the banquette had been served, the palace had transformed; every hall was lighted up by the most beautiful crystal chandeliers Katniss had ever seen, there were roaring fires flaming in hearths in every room, tapestries hanged from from every wall, there were brass polished vases of roses in every surface, everything was grandiose, warm and inviting, but the food was the star of the night.

 ** _"I want to taste everything in the room_** " said Katniss looking at the vast tables set out in front of them.

 _ **"Then you'd better pace yourself,**_ " whispered Peeta as he rubbed circles on her back.

" ** _No more than one bite of each dish_** " She assured, but it was a loosing battle. She broke her resolve at the first table, that was laden with every kind of soup imaginable, she then shimmy to a table covered in platters of birds stuffed with nuts and spices, the next one she visited was of sea foods and the next one fruits, breads and cheeses, she ate to her hearts content... Probably the only time she would be content in many days to come.  

But, there were so many Capitolite noble people in this gathering still seeking the King's favor, Katniss had the sinking feeling no one was very concerned with the safety of their daughters, she was appalled by this thought, she hated when she was approached by any of them to meet her acquaintance, the men all looked at her like she was a piece of meat and the women looked at her with badly veiled envy while faking interest in meeting her; she wore a modified version of her candlelight yellow mermaid dress, Cinna had insisted to remake for her, it was not as form fitting as the original was, but it still fit her like a beautiful glove, and every time she walked, the skirt would reflect back the soft lights that fell on the hundreds of crystals that adorned it.

She felt a little exposed when she was separated from Peeta, which was regrettably the majority of time, he did keep an eye on her, she knew for a fact, so did Cashmere from the corner where she had been gossiping with Clove and a few other high society women, but, everyone that talked to Katniss, kept asking her the same three questions: 'Who made her beautiful gown?', 'For how long she would remain as the New Prince's _special guest_?' And lastly, but seemingly the answer every men was more intent on listening, and the one question she really wished no one asked 'Was she officially free of her commitment with the Duke of Merch?'; Cashmere took matters into her hands, and quickly made some lewd comments, between giggles, insinuating that she was still very much Peeta's property. The comment was certainly efficient, it dispersed all the unwanted attention she had collected, at least for a few moments any way.

Finnick had figured out before returning home to Sea Breeze, that there were a few steps that needed to be taken before Peeta could be proclaimed Heir Apparent to the throne of Panem, and since he would not be losing his nobility title of Duke of Merch, unless he renounced it, he was still technically legally linked to Katniss, this he had made sure to investigate in painstakingly depth, and by now was very versed in the laws concerning this unusual matter, Katniss was still Peeta's concubine out of a technicality, which was great for the moment.

After one painfully inappropriately crass comment, followed by a hungry lecherous stare of a man that could have been Peeta's great grandfather, Katniss had rushed out of the banquette hall; she felt dirty, and small and very humiliated, she wished she could be anywhere but there. She saw the open double doors to a balcony overlooking one of the many gardens of the palace. She ran to it, she needed some fresh air. She took a cleansing breath, and held onto the beautiful railing, she shivered slightly, the air was still chilly in this part of the kingdom, were spring had not yet warmed up. She did not hear the silent footsteps that approached her, not until she felt the cold, bony hand slide all the way from her exposed nape, down her spine, ending with a hard unwelcome squeeze of her bottom.

She jumped, and turned completely around to see her assailant, prepared to scream and deal this person a well-earned knee in the sack, she was petrified when she found the watery blue eyes of the King gazing at her with unabashed lust. She panicked, her voice left her, and felt like she was going to be sick, he smiled softly, she knew he could see the utter fear in her features.

"My dear Miss Everdeen! How pleasant to see you again! Welcome to my humble abode!"

"Your Majesty..." She croaked, "T-Thank you! I have always love the palace grounds"

"Oh, lovely! But, I hope you get more... Acquainted with the bedchambers... Because there is where everyone knows you belong, my dear!" His voice was dripping with a malice she had not expected. But then again, his eyes roamed over her body without restraint, she felt goosebumps formed all over her skin, and a cold shiver run down her back, she felt defenseless, and to her horror the man reached his hand to touch her again, she involuntarily shut her eyes and trembled when his index finger made contact with her lips, and he let it trace her face, down her neck, her shoulder, her arm.

But then she thought of every poor maid that had been in this position before her, and resolve and rebellion and a need to take a stance against this monster came to her. She forced herself to open her eyes and stare him down, to show him she was disgusted by him, "So, tell me Miss Everdeen, are you content with my nephew? Is he a good lover? I have to say I originally did not see the appeal in you, not until my son started to obsess over you and your sister that regrettably neither of us had ever set eyes upon before... But, tonight, I see why my nephew is so protective of you. You are a like a delectable treat, one that should be enjoyed slowly... I was wondering if my nephew was man enough to keep the interest of a pretty thing such as yourself, I was thinking that I would show you how a real man, a _King_ , fares in the arts of pleasure..."

Katniss was sure she would be sick now, she could feel the vile drowning her at the back of her throat, she wanted to scream and cry, and gauge the old bastard's eyes out, when out of the blue he lunged at her, and pressed her against the railing of the balcony, which dug on the middle of her back painfully, she tried to push him off, but she was afraid that he would knock her over the railing to sure death, she felt his sickeningly hot breath on her neck, his tongue licked her cheek, her hands fisted defensively trying to fend him off, but his hands were digging painfully on her arms, and then she felt his manhood rubbed on her thigh, she whimpered in despair, she was about to turn her face to his, and try to bite off his nose, or whatever part of him she could reach just to shove him away from her, the biggest fear she had was that her child would get hurt in the process of fending this monster off, but, she did not have to do anything in the end.

"Aww, my liege! I have been looking to catch your eye all evening! I have hoped I could entice you to invite me to your chambers tonight!" It was a sugary voice Katniss recognized at once, as if Cashmere had not just found the King grinding his erection on her in the most vile manner she batted her eyes expectantly at the man "I am afraid that since Miss Everdeen has joined us for the time being, I would get lonely in my own bed... I seriously doubt you really want to lose your precious energy on my husband's prude of a mistress! She is quite boring, no sense of adventure in this one, but I guess it suits dear Peter just fine..." She gave Katniss a disdainful look, before turning to the King and throwing her head with a manicured mane of blond curls back in musical laughter she then straighten giving him her widest, most seductive smile.

The King, finally, _finally_ relinquished his hold on the trembling concubine, but, Katniss could not move, she was frozen to her spot. "Very well, your _Highness_ , my dear. You have, once again, convinced this poor old man of your superior charms! You _are_ my favorite without a doubt! I will always choose you above any maid in the kingdom!" Cashmere beamed, and to Katniss disgust, she saw the old man groped her shamelessly in front of her and then plunged his venomous snake like tongue deep into her cousin's mouth. She could not look away from the horrifying scene, until Cashmere gave a hard tug to the younger woman's skirts, when the King had closed his eyes lost in sensations; Cashmere's eyes were open and she looked at Katniss then, and ordered her to flee with her widening eyes. Katniss still did not move.

So as soon as the gross old man had let go of the Duchess' lips, she had started calling for a servant, a knight, someone. Boggs materialized a moment later looking impassive,

"You there, bring this maid back to her master, Prince Peter, at once. He might be wondering where his little toy thing had gone to. Make sure she is delivered to him right away... discreetly!" Cashmere commanded as if she was used to order everyone around the palace. "And if the Prince asks about my whereabouts, just tell him, I am in the company of his Majesty!" She said dreamily licking her lips as she looked at the old man with a gaze full of desire. Katniss knew it was fake but, she was very convincing.

"As you wish, Highness!" Boggs was quick to grasp Katniss' elbow and pulled her away none too delicately, he seemed to have noticed she had been rooted to the spot, but as soon as they were out of sight, she heard the cackled of the King, followed by a remark about being "turned on by her display of authority"

They had only gone a few paces, when everything hit her all at once, and she had to yanked her arm from Boggs grasp, she fell on her knees and buried her face on a oversized fine China vase that had been sitting on a corner. She emptied her stomach's contents violently into it, crying bitterly as she did. The beautiful intricate bun she wore her hair in started to fall apart. And she heard Boggs called out something uncomprehendingly, followed by footsteps. Then sounds she really had not the will to recognize. She felt a cool rag, being pressed to her forehead, and then a voice.

"What happened?" It was female, and she felt the comforting warmth of her best female friend that wrapped around her body, and it was like she had been under water and was just now breaking to the surface of a frozen pond, "Brainless, baby, you had us all scared shitless... You disappeared on us without saying where you were going." It was too much. Katniss started wailing like a wounded animal. The only word comprehensible being " _Peeta_ "

"Yes, we will take you to Peeta! Up you go!" The two Knights held her between them and half dragged her and half carried her to a flight of stairs, she knew this was not the way back to the party, but again, she did not think she much wanted to be there with hundreds of eyes on her in this state, she only did what she had been wanting do all along, protectively wrapped both arms around her middle, rubbed her barely protruding belly.

After about five minutes and corridor after corridor, they opened and closed one last door, and deposited her on a plush arm chair. Johanna kneeled before her and wiped her face carefully. It was only now that Boggs felt at ease enough to tell Johanna what he knew, which was not much, but they did not needed to know much of what had transpired before he arrived to the scene to have an idea of what had gone on. Johanna was trying to soothe her friend, feeding her water and crackers when the door opposite to the one they had walked in on flew opened.

A visibly distraught Peeta barged right in followed closed by Gale and a redheaded peacekeeper she thought she recognized.

Katniss had been so shaken up by the events of that evening that she involuntarily recoiled from Peeta's touch when he tried to caress her cheek, adversely, when he tried to move his hand away from her, she panicked and clawed at the air trying to pull him back to her. Both reactions killed him, stabbing him deep in the heart. And both reactions had him feeling increasingly murderous. Boggs, retold the newcomers the bit of the story he was privy to, he relayed the message Cashmere had sent Peeta, and with each word he heard his features darken. He finally knelt in front of Katniss, not daring to actually touch her; he let his hand hover around her knee. She was still softly weeping while clutching her stomach for dear life, but she had relaxed her tense state visibly.

"Love, I do not know what happened and I will not ask you to tell us just now, I know you are scared and I know you will be for a while, all I want to know is if he hurt you in anyway... Just nod or shake your head _no_  if you do not feel like talking." He was trying hard to keep calm. She stood still for a moment, and then said shook her head _No_. Relief fell on everyone in the small room they were occupying. "Good..." He breathed shakily, "Now... You are not obligated to do anything, but I want you to go into the next room with Jo and change into your nightclothes..." Katniss' head shot up from where she had been staring at her hands wringing each other desperately, fear written all over her face, she started to shake like a leaf. "It is alright, is alright baby, is alright... As I said you do not have to do it if you do not want to... I just figured you would be more comfortable in roomier clothes..."

"No! You will not leave me alone tonight again! You will stay with me! You will protect me yourself! No Johanna, no Gale, no Boggs... You!" She screamed at him, eyes full of despair. "That monster could have raped me if Cashmere had not found us... I am not leaving your side ever again, not as long as we are in this accursed place!" There was silence in the small space. Peeta's face went through several different facets, pale with fear, red with rage, dark with determination. He nodded.

"As you wish, my love, whatever you want you should get." There was no inflection in his voice. He simply stood up and like a caged tiger, paced in quick rapid steps a circle right in front of her chair. Then without warning he picked up a small bust of a younger version of the King that sat neatly on an end table and flung it across the tiny room, it shattered into dozens of tiny little pieces against the wall. Everyone flinched including an already scared Katniss. He then turned to address Gale, "I do not care what happens to me... But mark my words; I will have his dick for this! I will cut it out of his living, twitching body if he ever approaches her again! And you will have to run with her! Got me? Because I know that chopping off the royal dick of the King, will mean a trip to the block where I will lose my head if that ever comes to pass, you and Johanna are the only ones I trust to look after my family, when I am no longer amongst the living" He was so angry no one dare contradict him, he did not wait for an answer he simply picked up Katniss bridal style and pushed through the door he had come in earlier. "Leave Boggs and Darius!" He shouted as he walked further into what were their new apartments.

He helped Katniss into her nightgown, he put her in bed and then sat with her holding her hand until she fell asleep, because that was all she would allowed him to touch. Then he paced around the huge suite. He was beyond angry with his uncle, and he knew he needed to start reeling himself in, before he did something reckless like run to the royal chambers and slit open his uncle's throat.

Right before dawn that morning, Cashmere came to their new lodgings, looking ragged and spent, Katniss had been in bed crying, but when Cashmere came to check on her, she made room so she could sit next to her on the fluffy down mattress, both of them understood that something had shifted in their very unconventional family. Peeta kept on pacing around the chamber muttering to himself, and after a while came to the bed and kissing both women on their foreheads, he excused himself saying he would return soon. At first, Katniss started to panic, but he explained that he needed to find solutions to their problems and he would not find them in this rooms; she did not want to be apart from him, but she and by proxy her child, were not safe in the palace, after a few torturous minutes in which he begged her to understand, she acquiesced to stay in the chamber with Cashmere for the day while he went on to hold secret meetings with the rebels. There was no turning back now, no other recourse.

Peeta had little opposition from Gale, when he requested a guard to shadow Katniss all day, and of course, there was only one person she wanted to fill the position.

"Dame Johanna Mason... Bodyguard extraordinaire!" The woman exclaimed happily entering the extravagant chamber where her friends where housed later on "At your services, ma'am!" She took a deep, mocking bow before Katniss.

"You are impossible! I swear!" Katniss exhaled trying to sound stern, failing greatly as she could not keep herself from smiling. It was the first smile she had mustered in almost a three days.

After that initial incident with the King, everyone was on high alert, Katniss was never alone and she requested that Gale's family be kept safely away from the Palace which Peeta agreed to. The King had tried to approached Katniss on several occasions, but he had not had found her on her own since the first night, every time they met he would prod her for information about her sister while sending her lecherous greedy stares, each encounter resulted in the same meltdown after he would leave her be. She would run to the showers and scrub her skin until it was raw and burning but unlike the first time, when she would barely let Peeta touched her, she demanded he fucked her hard and fast, she would beg him to say she belonged to him over and over as he drove into her in every position imaginable, she would not let up until she was sticky with his seed which to her meant that he had marked her for himself. Peeta would always do as she asked, he was always conflicted about fucking her in this manner, but he knew she needed him to take physical claim of her to be reassured she indeed was his, but every time he took her like this, his hatred for his uncle grew. Every time he saw Cashmere come into their apartment after a rough night, his hatred grew.

And things started to go downhill from there, as the King's paranoia started to turn more acute, as his search for his very own heir seemed to have gotten stagnant. He would threaten nobleman out of riches and lands, he would increase the demand for taxes, produce, coal, cattle, extended the working hours for laborers without proper compensation, he would intimidate anyone in his path to gather more riches to himself. The only thing that had changed was he no longer destroyed maidens' innocence, Cashmere singlehandedly had seen to that! she would always go the extra mile to ensure the King's depraved sexual appetites were staved and satiated. Gale had taken it upon himself to make her acts as obvious to the populace as he could without tipping the King of what he was doing. Gale still hated the woman, but he had seen how she had decided to protect others before herself, he figured everyone should know that even the _Witch Mellark_ was doing what she could to keep Panem's daughters safe... one day, she would need everyone to know of her sacrifice, of everyone's sacrifices.

 

======================

 

Two months had passed since their arrival to the Capitol when the first vestiges of revolt happened.

Panem had always been a prosperous kingdom, everyone, peasants and nobles, had freedoms and opportunities that other nations lacked. Even in the middle of poverty, a family could bargain for food and shelter with minimum effort. But since the death of Prince Cato, something had gotten out of balance in the brain of old King Coriolanus; he was always irritable, always unsatisfied with the way his country was marching, he started oppressing and demanding the masses worked harder with little food and no benefits, he started imprisoning peasants that had no jobs to pay taxes, he started to steal lands from the wealthy, and the last straw was drawn, when during a public appearance, he started to group a thirteen year old girl that had presented him with a bouquet of flowers, and then he smacked the girl square on the chest with the flowers upon realizing they were not his favored white roses.

Both Katniss and Clove (who was now officially a Lady in Waiting for the Mellark house), had rushed to help the girl away from the public view, while Cashmere tried to pacify the unleashed monster garnering herself a slap on the face by the enraged King. Peeta had reacted fast enough to bring peacekeeper forces to extricate Cashmere from the old man's clutches, before he could deal her another black eye. He did try to reason with his uncle, until the man screamed obscenities to everyone in the crowd and stomp away back into his fortified palace.

Retaliation was swift, mostly because the rebels had taken care of the attack; it had been a simple one, harmless really. They provided a mob of angry people with rocks and sticks, and directed them to throw them the at the palace walls. Then Peeta convinced the King to let him go to the people, talk to them, hear them out... Pacify them, so peace could be restored. And Peeta had turn his charm way up, he seemed to be acting like a good, submissive nephew for the past months, why would the King suspect him? Peeta was allowed to address the angry mob, to make promises and to inform every one of his new position in the palace, and how everyone could help make Panem what it used to be, and better! And his speeches where passionate, honest and earnest, people would simply eat up his words as if they were starving for them, he talked about hope and freedom and equality. And little by little, every citizen of Panem, started to read between the lines of the Duke's speeches, and what the King saw as harmless, naive and empty promises, started to take a different connotation amongst the people of Panem.

But as the underground rebellion got stronger, and Peeta's support started to grow, the King had gotten restless... Curious even. The King now had a lot of free time in which to ruminate... And he had noticed the extra security around the concubine, he had noticed the way his nephew acted around her, how he treated her as if she was something precious. The King was _oh!_ so curious. He could also be very slippery if he wanted too, he realized the girl would never be left on her own ever again, but he wanted to see her, so much. He would find a way to do just that! After all... He had built his palace with a few hidden nooks.

 

========================

 

Mrs. Everdeen walked out of the Healing Center with a black medical bag, she had been summoned to a nearby farm to check on a little girl’s fever that would just not go away. Ideally Mrs. Everdeen would had preferred the girl’s parents brought her to the center, but since everyone was in the middle of tilling and preparing their lands to be replanted and seeded, most people would not leave their homes unless it was certainly deadly... she shook her head, “Fevers can be very deadly if not treated promptly! I will be back as soon as I can. Will you be alright here by yourself?” she asked her youngest daughter, she still did not like leaving her alone, even though she had shown time and again how much of an excellent healer she was already.

“I will be fine, Mother... we only have one patient, and he is no problem at all, plus Rue should be arriving soon enough... I think I will teach her how to stick a syringe in an orange today!” said the teenager happily. She had decided to teach Rue the basics of healing, so she could someday be a qualified nurse, she wanted her friend to stop being a maid in a big house, even though Rue had said numerous times she loved her position at Winter Home. Prim thought she knew better.

Mrs. Everdeen finally left, and Prim turned back inside the enormous house, the place was eerily quiet, but she decided it was no different than any other day she was left alone to tend to the center. She usually liked the solitude. After straightening a few forms on a desk, picking up some mail that lay on another table, she found a letter from Rory, she smiled broadly and ripped the envelope open... she was chuckling out loud holding her middle, when she heard the front door creak, she figured it most have been Rue that finally came over, so still reading her letter she shouted back,

“I am here in the sitting room... what took you so long? Mother left ages ago!” she heard the steps coming closer to her and turned around, smile wide and bright to welcome her friend... but, there was no Rue to be found and her smile fell from her lips before everything went dark.

 

~*~   ~*~   ~*~

 

Rue rushed into the house, pale as a piece of stationary paper, “MISTER THOM! MISTER THOM!”

  
“Hold it right there girl! What is with all the ruckus?” asked Thresh meeting her in foyer, concerned etched in his face, he knew Rue had never as much as spoke above a bee’s buzz.

“They had taken her! We have to do something! Please! MISTER THOOOOM!” Her voice frantic and she would not stop shaking.

“Who? Who was taken?” asked Thresh as Thom, closely followed by Lady Trinket entered the hallway.

“What is it? What happened?” demanded Thom, he knew Rue was supposed to be with the Everdeen women and he also knew this was uncharacteristic behavior from the maid.

“A man..." She sputter with eyes going wild, "Bald, tall, muscular... and... and a woman, complexion as dark as mine, with fangs for teeth..." she motioned to her mouth, and Effie gasped I recognition to the description, "They took her, Mr. Thom, and I could not stop them, she was limp in the man’s arms... I could not see her face, but I will always recognize my best friend even in disguise... she had been wearing her uniform.” then she swallowed thickly. “And her golden braid was unfurling and turning pink, I think it was her own blood” Rue finally broke into hysteric cries.

Thom’s world spun under his feet, and almost threw him flat on the floor, but he steadied himself and took off running towards the other side of town, towards Baker’s Place, he had to make sure Rue had not been mistaken... He had to disprove the girl, that she had not just described his worse nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quotes from Catching Fire and The Hunger Games film in Italics/Bold, plain Italics for thoughts and flashbacks. 
> 
> This chapter absolutely kicked both abk's and my butts, it was very wordy, and I actually cut a big chuck of imagery and information (i.e: palace descriptions/Finnick's more in depth legal lingo) that would have made the chapter more elaborate and rich, but ultimately didn't offer any real advancement for the story, so, I apologize... at almost 24,200 words... It was a mammoth endeavor to write and beta, so I hope it was a good read for everyone. 
> 
> I have to give a big shout out to my reader **Shellibug** , who unknowingly provided me, in one her comments, with the perfect line for Peeta to describe Katniss' sexual evolution; the wording of course had to get a bit modified to fit the voice used in this story, but I did italicized it, since the thought wasn't originally mine... Shellibug: sorry I didn't asked for permission to use your words before hand, but, credit goes all to you dear! Hope this is cool, of not... Let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix it.
> 
> So, according to my time frame calculations, this chapter can be placed roughly in the month of April, so, Katniss' birthday will be mentioned in the next chapter; Katniss is a bit over 3 months far as of now, and we will have another time jump in chapter 25.
> 
> I did do, my due diligence and researched legal terms that consumed at least a week of my writing time, unfortunately it didn't use hardly any of it... in my original manuscript, Finnick was going deeply into lawyer mode, using his big boy legal terms, and he was taking way too long explaining everything he was doing and would be doing next, and this chapter was already out of hand long, I had to regrettably cut his scene shorter, and dumb down his explanations, so it was easy to follow and simpler to say, I'm sorry about that, for more than one reason, I really wanted to give Finnick his own spotlight 'story teller' scene, but sacrifices had to be made :'(
> 
> So, I think that we will slow down a bit for the summer, both me and my beta have children at home for summer break, and that truly takes precedent and time, so our writing will probably suffer while our attention is elsewhere, I know abk1973 recently updated some of her own work, please go read it, it's awesome! 
> 
> With this, I apologize if I don't update as promptly as usual. It's just a busy a time, although chapters should be more manageable to work on, now that the bulk of info is done with. Tell me what you think in the comments below!
> 
> P.D: have you seen the teaser trailer for Mockingjay: Part 2 yet?!?!?! Fan-girling over Finnick's wedding!... I love Finnick!


	25. Regicide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Recognizable Characters and Places of the Hunger Games Series belong to their respective owners, which is not me:(
> 
> Big Thank You! to abk1973 for doing her beta magic.
> 
> Warnings:  
> Extremely long chapter ahead.  
> Trigger: Mention of Rape

The underground rebellion had steadily gotten stronger, so had Peeta's support, but he had worked hard to deflect some of the leadership to Gale and the Cardew brothers, Castor and Pollux, who had been with the movement from it's conception. It was a good thing as well, because he had found himself in sticky situations a couple of times in which would had been very difficult to explain either his absence or presence somewhere, with all the new protocol of his public and political persona; his notoriety should had made the King grow suspicious and even worried, but he had been so consumed in one thought only, that he failed to heed his advisor's words and noticed the growing popularity of his young nephew with the populace.

"If the boy keeps the commoners content, distracted and away from my person, I have no reason to disturb this much needed respite!" He had snapped at the last of his counselors, when he had mentioned it.

The King had fixated his attention to a whole different arena... He needed a bride who could bear him an heir soon, or his throne would be in jeopardy. He just did not understand how far ahead his nephew and his friends had gotten in the pursuit of a better monarch. The King had other things occupying his maddened mind: Studying the Concubine; the extra security around her, the possessive way in which his nephew acted towards her, how he treated her as she was the only woman in the world. And the way even Cashmere conducted herself when the maid was in the same room, all these big and little quirks intrigued him.

He started to noticed the way she walked, like floating on air, as if her feet never touched the soiled ground. She was very conservative in her attire, always donning gowns that hid the sculpted figure she had shown the very first time he met her. She had a very lovely face, but she was rarely made-up, and although, she was not the classic beauty he was always attracted to, as Cashmere and Glimmer and the long list of other shapely maids that had graced his royal bed, she was very pretty for a girl that was nothing more than a lowly peasant less than a year prior. All this made him curious.

In his early days as King, he had commissioned a few repairs and additions to the Palace; he decided that he needed to make his way around his house unhindered any time he pleased, and thus had constructed a set of passageways, and semi hidden corridors all throughout the place, it served its purpose for a time, until he grew bored of his unseen explorations around, then he decided to dedicate his time cultivating his beloved rose garden, forgetting his maze of secret passages completely... Until now.

One night, he refused the company of his lover Cashmere, telling her he was tired from the day's activities, she seemed enthusiastic and even joyful to get a night for herself. Old Coriolanus ignored her reaction, realizing she would likely rush back to her apartments to her husband and probably join him in their chamber. In his mind he imagined the concubine to be left alone in her spare bedchamber, and he would finally get to approach her while her masters were keeping each other busy. He managed to sneak into his nephew's wing, but his navigation skills were rusty. Instead he came upon his nephew's personal chamber, which to him was more like a happy mistake, because he was rewarded with an eyeful of shimmering olive skin and shapely perfection.

From an alcove, in a hiding spot, he witnessed how his nephew came into the chamber, and slowly and quietly disrobed his companion. He was surprised to see the dark raven sheet of loose hair covering taut peaked olive skinned breasts. He saw how the girl dropped to her knees and pleasured her master with gusto, but after a moment, his idiot of a nephew tapped the cheek of his mistress lightly, and carefully pulled his member out of her parted lips, she smiled. He laid her on the mattress gently; he crawled in bed after her, and kissed and tasted her all over, from her forehead to the beautifully shaped mounds on her chest, then took her wrists and pinned her arms above her head, and carefully, measuredly pushed into her. Her groans and gasps were music to the King's ears, and then she started to ask for more, ' _faster_ ', ' _harder_ ', his nephew obliged and the old man found his harden manhood through his tunic and pumped himself matching the punishing rhythm his nephew had set.

"Get on top; you are always a vision when you are above me!" The Duke said faintly, against the skin of her throat. They quickly flipped over, he on his back, and she straddling him, she descended onto him slowly, impaling herself on his thickness, they gasped together and the old peeping King had to bite his knuckles to keep himself quiet. The old man agreed with the younger, her breasts looked stunning as they bounced freely when she was in the process of lifting up and falling down on a man's shaft and her noises were simply heavenly. The girl moving on top of her master, small, dainty hands splayed on his very ample chest, her beautiful, round, full, perky breasts bouncing with her efforts and her hair that was like a dark waterfall was a little too much to stare at.

"Mmm... Oh, my Lord, I truly love your dick, it is so big and delicious. I hope you never tire of taking me, because I will always crave you!" The girl gasped unevenly, her master grunting and growling, biting her peaked nipples and pulling them as they went.

Cashmere had been partially right, this coupling was tame and predictable in comparison to anything the Duchess could do, but, watching the seemingly understated Concubine riding her master, had undone the King all the same, he spilled his seed with a satisfied sigh, but the Duke was still not there. The Duke kept on pounding his lover upwards, caressing her whole body reverently,

"You are so perfect, Katniss... So perfect... I will always crave you baby! Always!" The man, draped his big hand around the girl's nape, and pulled her mouth down to meet his in a hungry kiss. When he released her, he brought a hand to where they were joined together, the old man spying saw how his nephew rubbed his lover right on her pleasure point until she threw her head back and gasped loudly something incoherent followed by what sounded like his nephew's name, more like " _Peeta_ ". It was only a second later that his nephew growled the girl's name in response. He crushed her lithe body flat unto his chest. After a long moment in which the both of them tried to regain their breath, the Duke half chuckled and half gasped into his lover's hair "That was amazing baby..." He kissed her temple, "Would you like to join me for a bath?" She lifted her head and nodded, smiling brightly at him.

She rose from her spot on his chest, and let his now soft manhood slip out of her depths, followed by an inordinate amount of fluids that simply slid down her thighs carelessly. She stretched giving the King a view of her perfect backside covered by her shiny black locks. But soon her companion stood in front of her to kiss her once more, and placed the discarded robe around her shoulders, thus interrupting the King's lecherous view.

"Someone is in a very good mood!" The Duke teased, running a hand on the girl's ribcage.

"Why, yes! Prim wrote me a letter! She just delivered her very first baby, all by herself! Mother was tending to a patient at a closed by farm, that had broken his arm when falling from his mount. She was so proud of herself! She truly is becoming a very competent healer, not to mention she is looking so healthy and happy these days... My baby sister is finally blossoming into the beautiful young woman she was always destined to be!"

"That she is! Our Primy is turning into a gorgeous woman... almost as gorgeous as you, my love!" He kissed her once more,

"Oh, you are saying that just because you must! To mollify me after the day I spent with all this retching... I am no beauty, not like Primrose is, with her fair skin and golden locks! Why she looks like she was ripped out of a fairy tale book!" The maid said half teasingly, the Duke only gave her a look; the King perked up at hearing the concubine described her sister's looks, so she was blond, fair and young, just how the King preferred his women.

"I am not saying anything that is not true! I am not trying to mollify you, but I am sorry you had one of those days when your stomach refused to cooperate. On the other hand, both you and Primy are two sides of one singular beautiful coin, my darling, both extremely beautiful and both very dear to me... albeit in different ways!" He took her face in his hands and kissed her, she sighed and argued no more, then he urged, ending the conversation, "Come, sweetie, let us get you cleaned up and get some sleep." they disappeared into their washing rooms. The King left his hiding place and headed to his own chambers through hidden passages, in one mistaken turn he made, he came face to face with two servants, he then realized his passages were not so secret anymore. Now followed by his servants when needed to be discreet, the two housemaids were quick to recover from their astonishment at seeing their King walking the corridors at that time... or at all. He finally ordered them to stand from their kneeling positions and leave, which they did in a hurry.

As the old King continued his way once more, in the now deserted corridors he thought to himself _'As gorgeous as the concubine? Well, this I have to see for myself... And by all the accounts Cato procured for himself... A virgin! Yes! I think the little peasant maid will do just fine, if the odds are in her favor!'_

When he finally arrived to his empty bedchamber, he lost no time, "Brutus!" He called urgently, the hulk of a man bounded into the room with swift movements, awaiting his orders silently. "Time has finally come for you and that wench Enobaria to prove your worth. Come! We have much to plan, this job requires swiftness and finesse, and for that you need to learn how to observe your target patiently!"

 

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Katniss was seated on a plush chaise, on a balcony overlooking the south side gardens, the sun had finally wrestled out of the gloomy grey clouds that had been blanketing the sky lately, it had been raining every day for the past almost two weeks, and while it was a good thing, since the rain had been washing away the slush and dirty snow that was left from the long winter all over the Capitol streets, it reminded Katniss why she had not missed her hometown in the months she had lived in Winter Home. She missed Winter Home with such strong nostalgia; one could have wrongfully guessed she had lived there her whole life instead of a few measly miles on the city limits. But today was not bad at all!

If she concentrated enough in the feel of the warm sun on her cheeks and the soft sweet breeze caressing her form from every angle, she could pretend she was not being held hostage in the beautiful Royal Palace of Panem. Today was a very rare gift from the gods, as for some strange reason, and after almost two months of living in the shadows, the King had decided to go visit one of his summer houses in Quattro. The old creeper had hastily prepared the trip, dragging Gale and his best men with him to the coastal district; and since the King was gone, a peaceful calmness had descended on the Capitol as a whole. Even the weather was friendlier now.

Katniss was enjoying herself so much, she allowed herself to closed her eyes and relax her body on the very comfortable and richly upholstered chaise lounge; she started rubbing lazy circles over her now barely concealed pregnant stomach, she was past the fourth month mark by her mother's estimation, and she smiled softly when she felt the small stirrings deep inside of her tummy.

The very first time she felt them, she had been in a similar position, just inside a bathtub, with the most deliciously warm soapy water there was. It startled her at first, but it was so faint, she thought it must had been gasses displacing from one place to the next somewhere in her guts, she soon forgot all about it, but then, Peeta spoke to her, from where he had been leaning on the threshold of the washing room, a smirk on his lips, and roaming eyes that twinkled with mischief. At the sound of his voice the faint stirring lurched, twisted and it was not very faint anymore. At the time, she shouted in startled surprise, he ran to her clearly frightened and pulled her out of the bath water in one swift motion, not even caring he was fully dressed in a very pristine princely outfit. It took them both at least fifteen minutes for him to finally understand her words hidden behind all the sobbing, "It moved! It is alive!" She kept repeating, clutching at her now dormant belly.

"What moved? What is alive? Sweetheart you are making very little sense!" He soothed, not a clue as to what she had been referring to. But she clamped up her mouth, and said nothing else; she allowed him to survey her body all over, prodding softly here and there, looking for nonexistent injuries, and then wrapping her trembling body in a dense bathrobe. He emptied the bathtub next, and furrowed his brows as he studiously inspected the ceramic bowl, nothing out of the ordinary there either.

He turned to see her, still furrowed brow, confused and inquiring gaze on her; she merely shook her head, if she ignored it, it might have never happened. But there was no such luck for her when she lay to sleep that night, it seemed that when she was at her most relaxed, the little one inside her womb woke and was very determined to make its presence known! This time she could not keep the overwhelming terror hidden from her bed mate, after very little prodding on his part and the feeling of his strong, warm embrace around her shaking, sobbing form, she confessed.

His reaction was that of restrained excitement, he was unsuccessful in feeling his child's movements as much as he tried, for what he was a bit disappointed, but, she could see he was making a great effort to not show his overwhelming happiness, trying to pass his emotions as simple mild curiosity in front of her, she knew he was trying to be more empathic with her reserved feelings, which ultimately, she did appreciate a great deal. He listened to her, and rubbed her back soothingly until she was done letting her frustration and fear out, he kissed her temple lovingly and never, ever judged her for reacting the way she did, he actually seemed concerned about her emotional state, and then he told her, he was sorry for everything going completely the opposite way he had envisioned their lives and this specific moment to be. He told her, how thankful he was for her bravery and how much he loved and admired her for what she was doing; he vowed to love her more when she felt she was not good enough, which was often. As usual, she believed every work he told her, including the last thing he said as she finally let herself fall back to sleep still wrapped in his lap and arms.

"This only further proves that we have created something spectacular together. It belongs to the both of us, and I love you so much for being the perfect vessel to carry such a previous cargo!" She still felt a tinge of panic when the child moved, panic at how his or her future would develop, at how would they keep him or her safe, how would Peeta be able to claim his child and protected it from a life of prejudice and heartache, but at that moment, she understood, that as long as she had Peeta's arms around her, nothing could harm her, or their baby. She slept peacefully.

Now, the movements could be felt at any time when Katniss had sat stationary for more than five minutes. She learnt how to hide her reaction to the flurries when in company, but now as she sun bathed alone, she figured there was no harm in indulging on pressing her fingers down, letting her child know it was alright to say hello; she started humming the melody before she was consciously aware she was doing it, and her lips opened to sing the lyrics her father had so often sang her to sleep.

" _ **Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass...**_ "

" _ **a soft green pillow...**_ " A female clear, sweet voice picked up. Katniss opened her eyes and sprang up to see who it was, but relaxed almost immediately, when she saw Cashmere leaning on the arched frame of the balcony entrance, she was smiling as she sang, and Katniss once more sang in carefree content ness.

" _ **Lay down your head,**_ _**and close your sleepy eyes**_

_**and when you awake, the sun will rise."** _

Katniss moved her legs to one side, in invitation for Cashmere to sit with her, as they both sang the chorus together in beautiful harmony.

" _ **Here it's safe, here it's warm**_

_**Here the daisies guard you from harm.** _

_**Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true** _

_**Here is the place where I love you."** _

The baby leaped and twirled in its pool, and Katniss had to place a soothing hand on the spot as if to tell her child to settle, Cashmere had heard about the baby's fluttering, and she looked at Katniss' hand on her barely concealed swell a longing stare. It did not go unnoticed.

"Would you like to feel it?" She asked with a raised eyebrow when the song had died down, "I cannot guaranty you will, it has never worked for Peeta, but, you can place your hand right where mine is and, who knows? Maybe the odds would be in your favor." She said with more of inquiring tone. Cashmere's head snapped up to look the Concubine in the eye, as if to gauge how serious was she with this offering.

"Will it be alright then, if I touch you?" Cashmere's voice was a mixture of shyness and weariness Katniss had never heard before.

"It will be, it's... Um... It's your relative too I guess" said Katniss less sure now, Cashmere was not about to let the opportunity slide away, she had wanted to do this since she first heard the maid was with child.

Her hand was hesitant and trembling for a moment, but then she finally placed it flushed against Katniss', and to both their surprise, the baby kicked hard enough, Cashmere was gifted with a barely there push of her hand. Her eyes widened, she looked at Katniss, seeking confirmation, and she nodded wearing a faint smile, the older woman let out a drawn out chuckle.

"This is amazing! Peter will be so outrageously jealous!" She said as she gave the younger woman a meaningful look and saw the other's face scowled slightly instead of smile.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked sobering quickly.

Katniss only sighed and shook her head.

" **When I first felt her stirring inside of me, I was consumed with a terror that felt as old as life itself**... **Peeta says it will be okay. We have each other.** " She pauses to take Cashmere in, her eyes studying the other with detailing precision "Peeta... He has always had this... Positive outlook on this pregnancy, he truly is happy and excited and I know he will be a better father than I could ever be a mother. He deserves this child. He loves it so entirely much... I guess I am just scared to fail him, and robbed him from the joys of fatherhood, even more so than any horror life has ahead of us, because I do fear the future like nothing in this world."

"Katniss, dear... May I voice my opinion here?" Cashmere asked tentatively, when Katniss thought about it for a moment, and finally nodded her assent, she sighed and proceeded to say, maybe the only honest words she had ever said to anyone about her wanting to be around this child. "Katniss... When I was informed by my physician that I would never be able to carry a child in my womb, I felt relieved. I was convinced I would never be a good mother, I still know I will make a terrible mother, but then all my quasi friends here in court started popping out infants, locking their husbands into convenient marriages that brought them prestige, social stature and a comfortable living... I realized I would never have that, and I had already started looking for a concubine to send to Peter. I did not get the idea of the surrogacy until I had already chosen my candidate..." She looked apologetic as she said the last sentence, and Katniss shifted uncomfortably in the chase lounge. "I know it was underhanded and despicable of me to trick you both into conceiving, I was convinced it was the only way to secure myself a child and the Duchy, and... Well, now I realize I was grossly wrong... Family should never be viewed as a commodity," now it was Cashmere's turn to scowl, she bitterly thought of her father, how to him, his family was his own personal brothel to capitalize from "I apologize for all the hurt and pain I have caused you and Peter. I am not in love with him, nor am I attracted to you, which I have had to stress to him on numerous occasions... I do, however, care for the both of you, very much. You are the only family I have left and it tears me apart inside to hear you say that only Peter deserves this child, because you are a million times a better person than I could ever be, and you will make such a wonderful mother..." Cashmere sighed looking for courage to continue. "This is your baby Katniss. I promise I will do my best to keep our family together... I know Peter wants a divorce, and maybe I will acquiesce in time, and even give you my blessing to wed, I am just not ready to give up our arrangement yet... I know is fucked up, but, as I said, you are my only family now... It is challenging to let go of something you are so afraid to lose, even if there is no real love or attachment involved."

Cashmere now stood up to put as much distance between her and the now astonished Katniss, she had one more thing to say before crossing the threshold back into the palace. "Katniss, please, stop referring to the fruit of your womb as ' _the child_ , _the baby, his child, his baby_ '... this creature developing inside of you is so much more yours than it is Peter's... Yes, he will be a very stellar father, but it is your body that is knitting life into that new person! There is a reason behind the saying ' _Eating for two!_ ' She or he depends solely on you, the child is yours. Take your claim, take ownership of this bond. I... I will not rip you from your child, as you may fear I will. I know you do not trust me and have very little reason to trust me, I apologize for ever entertaining the selfish and horrendous idea of usurping your rightful place. You are the mother, no one else, especially not me!" She finally turned around, and she was gone.

 

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The only good news Katniss had received in two months, came when Baron Odair, requested an audience with the Prince. They had been receiving correspondence from Quattro quite often, but a visit in person was possibly the best thing that had happened to them since arriving at the Capitol.

Baron Quattro was immediately brought to Peeta's wing, and directed to a very sumptuous office. The friends embraced and smiled at each other, and exchanged little pleasantries, Finnick confessed how much he admired his friend's new accommodations, but Peeta soon frowned and muttered petulantly that he much rather be at home getting dirt under his nails and manure under his soles. Finnick simply smiled at him and clapped him on the back affectionately.

"It will all work out in the end! I am sure of it!" Finn exclaimed softly. "Now... I have something to report, and I would like Miss Everdeen to be present... I do not want to risk getting her angry at me, I would never hear the end of it, as she and Annie had taken up a pen-pal relationship of sorts, and they seem to write to each every day!" There was a certain edge of both irritation and amusement in his voice. Peeta thought it was because Annie had never had an actual girlfriend in such a long time... She had Johanna sure, but, Johanna never just sat down to write a letter or to read one, it was both good and not such a hot idea that the two women were corresponding so much. Peeta chuckled and sent for Katniss right away. Johanna came into the room first, and surveyed everything, before pulling Katniss in. She looked at Finnick and smiled covertly, she would meet him after work and really have a nice conversation with him along a few glasses of frothy ale, but right then, she was a Knight, serving her charge.

After they had been left alone, Peeta offered his friend his desk. Finnick sat once more behind Peeta's desk, as he always did when he was offering legal counsel, this time there was a cautious smile on his face, he seemed exhausted, a little winded, but he seemed happy as well, he seemed proud of himself.

"I finally did it!" He stated enthusiastically "I finished it, and got it sealed and notarized and signed by a family court clerk!" His smile was less cautious now and a lot more self-satisfied.

"Um... At risk of sounding like a complete ignorant... What the hell are you talking about?" Peeta asked a little irritated, he was tired as hell, and he only had a few more hours to be Katniss, before he had to return to his stinking princely duties. He could not sit here and play guessing games with Finn, as much as he loved his friend.

But Finnick only smirked and slumped back in his chair in a relaxed position. "Why, I am referring to my injunction! Her Grace... Highness... Whatever her title is, will not be legally able to ever claim Hagar's Law on Miss Katniss' baby!" He beamed at the confused couple.

"Say again..." Katniss whispered unbelieving.

"I have successfully brought to a stop Lady Mellark's plans to claim your child as her's, Katniss!" He said carefully enunciating the words, his face still pleased but also a raw determination and assuredness in there.

Katniss felt her heart stopped for a moment, then stutter back to life. She clutched her chest instinctively, and as soon as she heard Peeta's surprise expression of "Are you serious?" She started bawling her eyes out. Peeta who had reacted to the news by gripping the armrests of his chair in a death grip sitting ramrod straight, scrambled to kneel in front of Katniss right away.

There was so much concern in his frightened voice, as he kept trying to console her and calm her down, and there were so many tears streaming from her eyes, she saw the blurry shape of another body, come from around the desk, and she knew Finnick had reach them both now. She could not breathe properly, and she started to panic for a moment. She had been so stressed out about the whole Hagar's Law issue, that the relief she felt lifting from her soul was actually too overwhelming for her. All she could think was ' _The baby is mine! No one can claim it as theirs! I am the mother, this is my child...'_ And after these thoughts had sunk in, another one shot right up, front and center, ' _Fuck! I am going to be a mother!_ ' And then the tears intensified even more, but she realized she was now babbling incoherently at Peeta, and oddly, she was laughing as well as crying, and the sight most have been ridiculous, she could not appraise either Peeta's nor Finnick's expressions through her tears, but finally, in all her warble Peeta most have managed to extricate the meaning of a sentence, because he breathed easier and chuckled breathlessly, and then confirmed in a very shaky voice as he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her face to his chest.

"Yes, love! You are right! This is _your_ baby, and _no one_ can take her away from you now!"

 

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Buttercup meowed pitifully while Thom patted it's scruff absentmindedly, he could not concentrate in the stack of papers laid in front of him across the desk, it had only been an hour since his returned from the town square where the towns people had reunited to inform each other of their fruitless search parties, every last one of them had returner empty handed, except for a kid named Jason and his older sister, who had found the tracks of wheels from a carriage on a spot in the mud, where it should not had been.

The horse tracks that went with the ones of wheels showed that they were heading northwest from there, possibly towards the main road up to the Capitol.

It was time... he knew it too, but knowing it did not stop the dread. He somehow had convinced himself that if he delayed sending the telegram to the Capitol informing Peeta of the heinous crime that had been committed, it would not be real, he would not have admitted defeat, but the soft knock of Lady Trinket on the other side of the door, softly telling him that his horse was ready to go, screamed at him: it was time.

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_Thom would have rushed on foot to Baker's Place if there had not (conveniently) been a horse already saddled outside._

_When he made it to the healing center, he found the place eerily quiet, nothing was out of place except for the crumpled mail scattered on the floor in the middle of the room that had been repurposed as a reception and waiting area, the placement of the discarded letters, in single file, told him they had been left there out of haste, as an accidental trail, mocking his efforts._

_He quickly moved around the house seeking for God knew what, Clues? Possibly something to hint as to the identity of the bastards that had done such an appalling deed. The only thing he found was a very elderly man asleep in one of the beds on the hospice area, clearly a patient, it was doubtful he had even noticed he had been left alone while the crime of kidnaping his caretaker had been perpetrated. This only made Thom more frantic. And then he almost tripped, right in front of a door he knew lead to a bedchamber he had never entered, the one that would still smell of freshly laundered linens and faintly of spring flowers, the one where all her belongings would be stored, he gingerly opened the door, tears pooling in his eyes, and the orange ball of fur leaped in annoyance at him hissing his anger, then it must have recognize him, for it merely gave him a bored look and coiled between his legs, rubbing his sides against the grey dressy trousers of his second master._

_"Buttercup! You were supposed to watch over her!" The man screamed irrationally angry at the cat that just gave him a confused glance and leaped away from the noise._

_Thom did not think, he just acted, diving fast, picking up the cat with a hand under its belly scooping him up and cradling him in the crook of his arm. He was about to leave the house to do something, he had no idea what, when he heard Mrs. Everdeen arrive. '_ Maybe this is all a misunderstanding and Prim was with her mother this whole time!' _He thought hurrying down the hallways to meet the lone woman, as his heart sank, still looking around the slight figure of the Healer that frowned her face in disapproval, she opened her mouth to probably scold him for being in her house unsupervised while she had been out, but then noticed something he had not seen when came in: blood!_

 _Dark, dry, dripping down the front door frame, he could not have seen it coming in. If Rue was to be believed, and he knew she would never lie about something as terrible as this, he deduced that whoever took her, had her in arms, head lolling, and leaving in a hurry with their prize secured, they maybe had banged her head pretty badly in their haste, maybe had not even noticed it at first, but even the smallest of head wounds would bleed like crazy, he felt his stomach turn uncomfortably, bile rising. '_ I hope they noticed the bleeding' _the healer's eyes were growing scared and concerned, he needed to ask, although he already knew the answer._

 _"Mrs. Everdeen... Young miss Rue is under the terrible impression that Prim has been taken by someone. Although Rue has never been known to ever lie or bear false witness to anything or anybody, I beg of you... Please tell me Rue is a complete liar, never to be trusted again... I beg of you, ma'am, please... say Prim_ _has never left your side today?"_

 

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A few days into the second week of the King being gone from the Palace, a thunder of hooves resonated in the main courtyard outside the entry gates. Almost the whole contingency that had left with the King not two weeks earlier had returned, and without the monarch, which was already peculiar.

Captain Hawthorne was visibly in a dreadful mood, and the way he was barking orders in every direction seemed a tad uncharacteristic of him. "Dame Mason go to your Captain and see what is troubling him, then bring him and Miss Everdeen forward to my study, although I was not expecting him to be present for this interview, I think it is a godsend that he has arrived when he has! Go quick, if either of them asks, tell them Lord Heavensbee has come forth with some promising evidence that is of crucial importance to the both of them," commanded the new Prince with a tinge of anxiousness behind his firm voice.

Johanna bowed to her Prince, and took sure strides in the direction where the Captain of the Knights stood brooding and huffing; with the King gone, and Katniss going bat-shit crazy with the shadow forced upon her, Peeta had decided it was safe to allow the both women a well-deserved break from each other, there was no guaranty they would have any more of this impromptu trips away from the palace and the freedom that came with the old coot's absence. Boggs was supposed to take over Johanna's duties every other week once the King returned, but, until then... it was best that everyone relaxed on their own for a change. On the other hand, Johanna and Gale had been keeping their burgeoning relationship a 'secret' from the rest of their friends, it was no surprised they were the picture of propriety whilst on duty, but all the people that already knew they had started sleeping together every night back in Winter Home, could not quite comprehend why the secrecy in the midst of friends, it was not like they were not aware of the knowing smirks Katniss would send them, or the crude comments Abernathy would so boisterously cackle in the middle of dinner getting an irate rise from Lady Trinket in the process, although, they were not aware that Lady Clove had actually seen them in a very compromising position and told the other women about it, it was still so new, they did not risked showing affection in any way while in public; but behind closed doors, when the shutters were drawn, was a completely different story, the afterglow of which was simply impossible to hide no matter their efforts.

While Johanna reached her Captain, elsewhere in the Palace, Katniss, Cashmere and Lady Clove were sitting in companionable silence in some spare sunroom, each woman consumed in some menial task that only served the purpose of keeping them sane while locked away in the palace; they feared that the returned of the Knights and Peacekeepers, meant the King was back home as well.

Clove was knitting a baby blanket, maybe her one hundred one by now, she had learned from Nanny Mags back in Winter Home, and the repetitive motions soothed her greatly, so much so, she could sit and knit endlessly until she ran out of yarn. Sadly, today the knitting was not working properly on her frayed nerves.

"It has been sixty nine days..." Clove muttered under her breath, making the other two women snapped their attention to her barely there outburst. When she did not elaborate, but kept on moving her hands frantically pulling and knotting yarn, Cashmere placed a hand on her friend's forearm to forced her to either slow down or stop altogether.

"Sixty nine days of what, sweet Clove?" her voice smooth, calming.

Clove abruptly threw the needles and wooly thread on the small tea table away from her in exasperation, huffing and puffing as if trying to calm herself down. She closed her eyes tightly. "Sixty nine wretched days since Cato was killed for his idiocy!" Clove spat, shaking with anger, longing and regret. "I wish I could teach myself to hate him! I wish I could stop feeling like part of me died with him! I should be able to make this resentment I feel towards his mother, Queen Alma, refocused on him and all the bitterness I have felt since he decided his ' _mommy knew best'_ , develop into a healthy, hateful feeling towards the man that for all intents abandoned me at the altar even before I was officially asked to walked down the aisle with him!" She crossed her arms angrily over her chest, hot, fat tears of misery marring her face. "I should hate him for what he did... Or did not do! But... I cannot! Every night, all I can do is mourn his selfish, self-absorbed ass! Even when he told me that he would rather fuck a married woman, than marry me, I loved him... How more stupid could I be?" She was now hiccupping. Cashmere's face fell in shame at the hurt in her friend's confession.

"Oh, Clove... I am so sorry for deliberately causing you so much pain..." Cashmere was on her knees, her slender arms tightly locked around her friend's shaking form, meanwhile, Katniss was just staring at the scene mutely and squeezing the half-finished handkerchief she had been stitching when Clove started ranting. She was at a loss for words, and somehow, she knew that this did not pertained her, so she would be wise to stay silent and try her hardest to blend with the wallflowers in the decor.

This was how Johanna found the women, the book Cashmere had been reading sprawled on the granite floor of the sunroom, the knitting unceremoniously tossed on top of the small tea table, the two friends sobbing into each other's arms while Katniss looked at them with eyes as wide as saucers and an expression of a deer trapped in the crosshairs of a crossbow. It would have been comical to witness, if their reaction to the newcomer was not of utter confusion and fear.

Raising her hands in a placating motion, Johanna spoke taking great care in not actually bursting out laughing; something told her, laughing would be of terribly bad taste in this situation. "I am here to collect Miss Everdeen and deliver her to his Highness' study; she has been summoned for a meeting with Lord Heavensbee and Captain Hawthorne."

"Oh! So Gale is back?" Katniss said in a high pitched voice, hurriedly standing, "Is the... Um... The... The..." She started to shake involuntarily.

"Is His Majesty back as well?" Cashmere finished the question, while Katniss stammered uncomfortably, the older woman was a lot more  composed than she lead on mere seconds before.

"Ah! No. His Majesty, decided to stay behind, with only a few knights and peacekeepers he handpicked himself... Plus the brand new member of our ranks, he just knighted, to the chagrin of Captain Hawthorne." A dark shadow passed over her face as she forced the words out, Cashmere frowned because she remembered that for her brother to become a knight, he had to complete a series of tests and tasks and then there was a ceremony... "It seems we have another knight, but, we will hear all about it in due time I presume, for now, the Prince has only called for a meeting with a man that says brings information of interest for Miss Everdeen... There will be time for an emergency meeting of sorts to share our combine knowledge with everyone!" Johanna spoke the last phrase nonchalantly, outwardly, but her eyes had not stopped roving around the expanse of the semi enclosed area. It would not do to say too much that could be taken as open rebellion. Katniss visibly relaxed at the news of the King being away still, but saw how the other women stiffened when they heard he only kept a handful of guards, and had made a new knight, usually knighting someone encompassed an official ceremony in front of witnesses, and the presentation of the Dagger of the Knights, until that, they would not be officially considered knights of his Majesty, they would only be cadets, but, they understood that the king's paranoia would drive him to do more and more things such a as this, bypassing proper protocol. 

"We’ll see" was Cashmere's response as the higher ranked person in the room. "Very well Miss Everdeen, do not delay, it will not do to keep the Prince waiting." She said giving her a meaningful look "We will see you for supper!" With that she had been dismissed, and Johanna was escorting her through the lightly trafficked maze of corridors to Peeta's newly appointed study. A few days after their arrival, one of the servants was overheard complaining that 'now they had to actually maintain the study tidy, for this new Prince actually had a use for it!' This apparently was a big annoyance to the few servants in charge of cleaning that side of the palace.

They finally reached the unassuming, sturdy mahogany door, that lead into Peeta's study, it was possibly one of the most simple looking doors in the whole place, only adorned with the graceful carving of the emblem of Panem of the supple wood surface at eye level. One grunt peacekeeper served as guard of the door. He was alert and ready, which made Johanna sigh in relief. Sometimes she was afraid Peeta was getting assigned all this untried soldiers so they could not defend their post or let someone slip by they were not supposed to, and allow the new Prince to be ambushed and offed, maybe, the King was only waiting to secure himself an heir, before disposing of his nephew, but in the case of a new Royal baby, there would be no need for an attempt on Peeta's life, he would simply return to his previous second place in line, which she was sure he would gladly take in a heartbeat, and just simply go back to his Duchy of Merch and Seam, as his rightful place. She only hoped the King was lucid enough to realize this before he ordered any harm come to his nephew.

"At ease soldier, Miss Everdeen is here answering His Highness' summons. I will only deposit her inside the door, and stand guard along with you as I wait to escort her back to her chambers." Johanna explained in a deceivingly detached voice. The grunt, who had been holding a salute the whole time, finally relaxed his stance,

"Go right in Dame Mason, you and Miss Everdeen had been expected!" He responded not really meeting the short woman's gaze. She could certainly be intimidating when she wanted to be. Katniss fleetingly wondered, who was the dominating parter in her and Gale's relationship? she figured Gale would still hold some sort of authority over her as her commanding officer, but she was almost eight years older than him, not that it showed physically. Johanna was already walking inside the next room, and she followed suit, thus ending her ruminations.

Gale and a very richly dressed man, that Katniss surmised was Lord Heavensbee, were already gathered around a sitting area. Each man was occupying a richly upholstered wing chair, with Victorian details, an a big oval mahogany tea table sat in the middle, on the other side of the table, facing the chairs was a matching three seat couch, with several decorative cushions on it. A bar cart sat to the side, equidistant to the chairs and couch, but everyone in the room already was holding a glass filled with some liquid or another. Peeta was just pacing in front of the beautifully ornate grey marble fireplace that had a small fire going; his glass had ice and a few inches of some amber colored spirit. Johanna cleared her throat to announce herself and her charge; the sitting man stood up to welcome the ladies, as it was norm, and Peeta's head rose in time to meet Katniss' eyes, he immediately lighted up at her sight.

"My Lords, Captain... I will take my leave now, that I have deliver Miss Everdeen." After saluting Gale and bowing to the other two gentleman, she turned on her heel and left with the switching sound of her cape following her.

"Miss Everdeen!" Peeta said a bit breathily, he hated that here she was _demoted_ to 'Miss' Everdeen instead of 'Lady Katniss' as he had insisted his staff called her back in Merch. Here, she had no social standing, being the daughter of a dead hunter, who's predominantly mattered thanks to his skill, for being an accomplished shooter with bow and arrows he had found a place in the archery ranks of the Royal infantry. This thought made him snap out of the daydream he had been enthralled in as soon as he saw his concubine's pretty face and the small swell of her belly that was only noticeable if you already knew where to look, and he knew _exactly_ where to look, why, he was an _expert_ on Katniss Everdeen's anatomy. "Uh, yeah, well... Um, Miss Everdeen, please come right in." He stuttered for a moment, finally shaking his head to regain some semblance of control over his tongue that had turned clumsy and dry suddenly.

"Your Highness..." She curtsied in a very low dip, and then she turned to the other men, and curtsied again in a less ostentatious bow. "Lord Heavensbee, I presume?" She said extending her hand to the man, who quickly matched her bow with an elegant one of his own, and kissed her knuckles lightly.

"You would presume right, madam! Plutarch Heavensbee at your service!"

"Captain Hawthorne, welcome back!" She said giving her best friend a wide smile that he marginally returned with a forced one of his own. Katniss' smile faltered, she knew her friend well, to noticed he was giving his best effort to maintaine a pleasant facade, she gave him a questioning look but he shook his head slightly and shifted his gaze to Peeta who was nervously stirring the drink in his hand.

"So, Lord Heavensbee used to run one of the news outlets that reached out to the outer districts of the Capitol, before he was banned from producing his weekly journal once it became clear that he was informing the populace of things the Crown was not interested in sharing with the rest of the kingdom. He has agreed to provide us with his many contacts, to form a net of... Informants, and of course, a wealth of useful information we could have not accessed to on our own" Peeta said as ways of explaining the presence of this man, that looked like he came to meet with the King himself, instead of a lower tier prince, very finely dressed with a rich purple silk and wool suit, with a dark colored sash that accentuated his prominent belly and accented with golden buttons, cufflinks, tie pin, and a golden pocket watch with a long golden chain securing it to his wool vest. He was very well put together, which meant he came from very old money, and Katniss vaguely remembered the surname Heavensbee, but that was about all she could recall not being old enough or fed enough to care for politics before now.

Katniss had told Peeta that for the last two days, she had been having this bad feeling at the pit of her stomach, an uneasiness that she could not pin-point or explain, she had shucked it at being cooped up in the Palace all the time, but deep down she knew there was something more sinister to it, this was not related to boredom or pregnancy stress, this was a totally different uneasy feeling. Seeing as everyone except Lord Heavensbee, was so tense, she decided this must be the root of her gut tensing hunches. She allowed Peeta to come to her, and directed her to sit on the couch with his warm hand lightly pressing the small of her back, then he offered her a beverage, that she gracefully declined, and after pacing a few more laps, Peeta too, came to sit next to her. He held her hand tightly, and this was all the confirmation she needed to know something was wrong, otherwise he would not had seek physical contact with her in public, since it was an scandalous thing to do with a concubine.

"So..." Peeta started nervously, "I have called all of you to meet with me this fine afternoon because I think we have finally come to learn some significant truths... Lord Abernathy, and myself have been trying to aid Captain Hawthorne in unearthing certain events, that, well... Concern the two of you, actually..." Peeta said eyes fleeting between Katniss and Gale, and suddenly he was feeling very uncomfortable in his own skin, but he had captured Gale's undivided attention now and Katniss was watching his every move with apprehension, he inserted a finger into the collar of his shirt and tugged at it, as if the garment was suffocating him.

"My Lord, if you allow me..." Intervened Lord Heavensbee good naturally, after a small pause in which Peeta made a hand gesture, motioning him to continue, the older man picked up. "As his Highness was saying, Lord Abernathy is a very cunning, inquisitive fellow, he knows how to finagle information from the most unlikely sources, and he is always very generous when provided with something that really worth his while! The man has a way with... informants!" Here the larger-than-life man allowed himself a laugh, and after a moment went back to his explanation, Gale was already losing patience and Katniss was mostly confused by the man. "Anyhow, I am here to share with you some knowledge, my colleague Madame Fulvia Cardew and myself have finally uncovered, after much prompting from Lord Abernathy, we have gathered some interesting information... Which involves the demised of a handful of people in different circumstances, all deemed _accidents_ " the man gave the two friends a serious look as he said the word 'accidents', it was clear that the word had been misused, a chill ran down Katniss's spine, she was dreading whatever this man had to say.

"What kind of _accidents_  are we speaking about here, Lord Heavensbee?" Asked Gale cautiously, now his interest peaked.

"Well, Captain," said the large man, seating back in his chair, and giving Gale a searching look. "You are a military man, have you ever wonder how is it, than in the age of the pistols and gun powder, you are still issued a dagger and a sword as your chief weapons?" Gale was silent for a moment, he had often wonder this same question, he knew their infantry had been armed with fire weapons at one point, he knew his father used to carry a musket while during the war; he had seen photographs of this. Yet, he said nothing, just gave Lord Heavensbee and inquisitive stare.

Lord Heavensbee, seemed to be pleased with Gale's demeanor, regardless of his lack of words. "I see you are following my train of thought!" He said with an easy smile,

"Forgive me, but, I am not following... Would it be alright if you explain it more plainly for me? Captain Hawthorne might be a decorated military man, but I most certainly am not." Said Katniss, her cheeks pink with anger, embarrassment or simple confusion, Peeta did not quite know.

"Very well, my dear Miss Everdeen. Your father was a gifted hunter; he had been blessed with an incomparable hand-eye coordination that most men, including myself, envy. For what I understand, although sadly I cannot attest to it myself, as I never had the honor to see him shoot, your father was an incredible shot, so much so, he was brought to the Capitol as chief sports hunter, but after catching the King's eye, he quickly stepped up the ladder of success, landing in what was called back then during the war, the sharp-shooters squad. Only the best of the best made it to the elite squad... You can guess, that your father did not simply went to war shooting arrows when the enemy had guns and cannons on their side." Katniss shook her head, she knew her father had been assigned some kind of fire weapon, and he died in a black powder explosion, but she had been too young to know more, and her father never volunteered that kind of inappropriate information in front of his family; she knew he abhorred it with all his might, and by the feeling of nausea she was starting to feel, she was positive she agreed with her father in that respect too.

"So, you are saying that the explosion that took both our fathers from this world, leaving our families in shambles and forgotten by the crown and the kingdom, was no accident?" She said in a voice so horse she did not recognized, rough, cold, and itchy in her throat, but her tongue did not stutter as she spoke.

"Correct!" Was the single word that came from Lord Heavensbee, he then smiled broadly at her, "Abernathy did not exaggerated any of your attributes, Miss Everdeen, he was right when he described you as smart as whip and straight as one of your father's arrows, speaking your mind! I like and respect that in a woman!" He beamed at Peeta. Katniss scowled, but nodded her acknowledgement, then slowly stood up, and walked away with purpose, opened the double doors of the study that looked out into the grounds, gracefully bent over a potted plant and emptied her stomach's contents for what felt like an eternity.

She felt like this man, Heavensbee, just placed an insurmountable amount of weight over her shoulders, right after she had finally found relief from other stressors. She had no idea, whether to believe the man, hate him, or simply ignore him. She heard the doors clicked softly in place behind her, she figured someone had decided that her puking was offensive and came to block the disgusting view from the study, but then, she felt the warm, soothing hands of Peeta caressing her back as she heaved and chucked out everything she had consumed since last week. Off he closed the door, not because he was disgusted, but to give her some semblance of privacy, in an attempt to preserve the little dignity she still had.

After she was done, he produced a damp cloth from a nearby table and a tall glass of water. He gave her room to breathe, and then softly murmured and apology, for just plunging her into this without proper preparations, but, time was of the essence now.

"Take your time sweetheart... When you are ready... Lord Heavensbee will explain all the information he and Madam Cardew were able to gathered and confirmed, so nothing he says has room for doubt or misunderstanding." He hesitated for a moment, before kissing her forehead, and saying a last sentence, before heading back into his office, "Your father... Was a very honorable man, and not only that, he was brave enough to stand up for what was right! I hope I can be half the man he was, so I can at least start to deserve to be his daughter's husband!" Katniss' eyes filled with tears, she nodded hugging her belly protectively,

"I will be there in a minute." She whispered between tears, as Peeta was crossing into the room, she called him in a trembling voice, "Peeta?" He turned around to look at her, with such emotions it was hard to choose only one to focus on, "Thank you... You are the best man out there... Father would have loved you as much as I do!" He smiled sadly at her, nodded curtly once, and left her to regain control over herself.

The afternoon ran slowly, the hours passed without much commotion, Lord Heavensbee, or Plutarch, as he had instructed his companions to call him in an attempt at lightening the tenseness, once Katniss returned from her break, had candidly spoken about his mistrust of a regimen that censored free speech, and regulated any news released to the public, thus controlling what the people in the kingdom knew about their own country. He thought it was appalling to hide the internal workings of the royal house, they were supposed to provide security to the commonwealth, but instead they had slowly destroyed all the good that previous monarchies had achieved, legacies of a well provided, well maintained Panem was long gone by the time Prince Cato reached adulthood, and most older generations had seen with horror how the values they had tried to teach their children, had all but been pulverized with the example of a shamelessly amoral royal family. The King had always taken younger mistresses; this was not by any means news, but, the queen? She had been icy and uncaring towards the people in her kingdom, she lavished herself in riches and jewels and power, while wielding her rule cruelly and with militaristic callousness.

Plutarch hinted, most curiously, that the last few years with the Duchess at the King's beck and call, had actually brought a... ' _Golden age of calm, to the younger maidens in Court'_ , until Lady Crane had caught the King's eye, that was; Plutarch mused, that if it had not been for the late, Seneca Crane's flat out refusal to allowed his only daughter to attend balls and parties at the palace, the King might still be contently satisfied with his amorous arrangement with Lady Mellark. The comment rubbed Katniss the wrong way. It also made Peeta and Gale stiff uncomfortably in their seats, but it quite irked Katniss to hear this man talk this way to the aforementioned Duchess' still legal husband, without remorse or pity, and to her, a blood relative... Not that Plutarch had any reason to know this particular fact, but, she was sure he would probably have no problem finding out about it if he so choose to.

In an attempt to distance everyone from the uncomfortable topic that was Cashmere, Katniss cleared her throat demurely, and spoke in her most lady-like tone.

"So, you have called Madame Cardew your colleague? Do you consider her a par professionally speaking? It would be most unusual for a man in our society to placed such esteem on a woman now a day let alone respect her and considered her an equal. We..." She motion between her, Peeta and Gale, "personally are acquainted with Madame Cardew's sons, Castor and Polux. They did us the great kindness to come to Merch, and work on a piece about the opening of District Twelve's very own Healing Center. Their piece was lovely. The Cardew brothers, however, spoke highly of their mother, but then, they are her children after all, it would have been terrible manners to speak otherwise about their own mother. But you, my Lord, are under no obligations." She peered at the man, inquisitively, and the man had a glint in his eye when he looked at her full in the face, a self-satisfied smile on his features showed he was pleased with her line of questioning, so when he opened his mouth to answer, he did so cheerily.

"I like you Miss Everdeen! I had heard about your no nonsense attitude, and I never thought I would end up enjoying this little interview as much as I have! To answer your questions... Indeed! I do consider Fulvia Cardew one of the most savvy journalists in our beloved kingdom, sadly, I was not the only one to think so, his Majesty for example, feared that her views on certain issues, when published in written paper, could steam trouble for him, so he got her as gagged as he could... I, personally cannot agree with the notion that Women cannot do great things for themselves, proof of that is the fearsome Dame Mason that so valiantly escorted you to this very meeting. Females do have their place in the shaping of a country, my dear Miss Everdeen... You should never allow anyone to tell you otherwise! You, yourself, have done much more in favor of our kingdom that you will ever know!"

"Really do not know about that, all I have ever done is try to protect my family, and loved ones." She responded flustered.

"Which in of itself is admirable! But, I guess you could not expect less from the daughter of a man that stood for the same ideals..." Katniss' eyes were glued to the pale blue ones of Plutarch Heavensbee, he once more was regarding her with seriousness in his gaze, and then shifted to see Gale and Peeta in turn, he started to talk in a lower timber of voice, as if he was weary of being overheard by the wrong ears. "Messrs. Everdeen and Hawthorne, as you are aware, served in his Majesty's royal army for a long number of years before their tragic demise during that explosion on a time when peace had been acquired at a costly price. Both men had advocated to set their weapons down, and try the more peaceful road of dialogue with the kingdoms we had been in conflict, peace was finally achieved and the war with the neighboring kingdoms came to an end, both sides suffered terrible casualties, and you might not know this, but much of the success of the last push before the end of the wars, came thanks to Lieutenant Hawthorne. He had a bright strategic mind, he was genius when it came to plan attacks and organize the troops, he and Sargent Everdeen became friends for the many little coincidences that brought them together: their families lived closed by to each other as you are already aware, they came from the region called Seam, they were both avid hunters, although Hawthorne was more of a snare person himself for what my archives say, Everdeen as we all know was an archer, and if my sources are to be believed both their children grew up to inherit their respective hunting skills and even improve upon them!" Gale had this far away dreamy look to his eyes, he was smiling sweetly and proudly at the memory of his old man no doubt, and Katniss simply beamed at the comparison, Peeta only smiled indulgently at her. Lord Heavensbee continued,

"Everdeen was a man of principles, his family came first, and he would often speak against the injustices of social standard, gender inequality and other hot issues... He was quite progressive in his thinking, and he was much respected in the ranks. He caught many an ear and made them listen to the issues he saw as important, one such ears was of course Hawthorne's, who quickly started having thoughts of his own, questioning the legality of certain policies that had been adopted by our government, he questioned the morality of high society, the disparity in which things functioned, more higher ups started listening as well... Soon the King and his cronies feared they would have some kind of upheaval, mutiny. Your father, miss Everdeen in an effort to quiet his voice, maybe even discredit him from his defender of the poor and small speeches, was asked to join the Knights, he was offered coin and prestige, high places in the ranks, but, all he wanted was to returned to a simpler life with his wife and children. He refused the position. When they offered Mr. Hawthorne the same deal, he accepted with the condition that if he was given the rank of Captain, he would restructure the body of Knights from top to bottom... But, alas, He never lived to see that promotion. Both men were still in service for a few more months, when they were ordered to store all their explosives and black powder away, since the Crown had banned the use of fire weapons in a time of peace, in an effort to unify Panem and the neighboring countries. The rest... you know." After a pause in which the affluent gentleman looked tired and drained, he gave them the last piece of knowledge he could offered. "The last kernel of intel we were able to gain from our fishing was surprising even for us" his voice was harder than it had been during their whole time together, "The order to detonate the explosion that cost both your fathers' lives, and that of the many men that came in hopes to aid them, rescued them from the flaming inferno... came from Queen Alma, and not King Coriolanus. Since the woman died under suspicious circumstances, there is speculation she got her right deserves... Alma Coin-Snow was my mother's only niece." Heavensbee was finally done, and the room fell into a silent shock.

The only sound breaking the stillness was the clink of ice dislodging from where it sat as it melted in a forgotten glass, everyone meditated on what was revealed, it was like opening Pandora's box, all the horrors unleashed too much to digest or even understand, there were details they did not know still, they did not even had specific names to blame for having been left fatherless; sure, the King was at the very top of the list since he had most likely poisoned his own wife, it made sense, really, poison was the king's weapon of choice, maybe fire and explosions were the queen's favored tools to rid herself of people that sat on her way, but there were also advisors and informants, and lackeys who followed orders blindly, a whole host of people that should be hold accountable for such horrible crimes. This knowledge did not made either Katniss nor Gale feel any better than they did back then, but now they knew they were deprived their fathers for selfish reasons, and this knowledge served to fueled Gale's anger and Katniss determination to protect her loved ones.

After another stilted conversation, more like a Peeta monologue than an actual conversation, Lord Heavensbee, excused himself, and left them with the niceties expected from a man such as himself. Silence fell in the study, Gale had only had enough energy to muster a passable goodbye to the man that had brought them the truth about his father and Mr. Everdeen's passing, now he sat in a chair, sinking in its cushions, spent and drained, his mind was blank and his body felt lethargic and heavy. He needed to leave and deal with all this somewhere quiet and deserted.

"Would you... Like a moment alone together, to process everything that has been said here today?" Peeta's soothing voice prodded. Gale realized he had been staring down, burning a hole through the spongy rug covering the floor. He ripped his eyes away from it to look at the Duke, standing rigidly next to a despondent looking Katniss. The Duke's eyes flit quickly from Gale to Katniss, the latter not even reacting to his words until the top of his fingers brushed away a tendril of hair that had fallen across her cheek.

" _ **Stay with me?**_ " She whispered faintly, voice breaking at the edges, she finally looked up at the golden Prince, an emotion she had never reflected in her gaze when it was directed at any other person, not even Prim, and he returned her a look of pure, unadulterated adoration. Gale felt sicken to the stomach as the other man leaned to delicately hold her hand in his, as the response came swiftly from his lips, matching the love in his gaze in the murmur of his soft voice.

" ** _Always_** "

After a pause, in which Gale was convinced both of his companions had forgotten he was still in the room, he coughed, then cleared his throat in an attempt to remind them they were not, in fact, alone in that spacious study.

"Um... my apologies Captain Hawthorne," Peeta said sheepishly, Gale simply stood from his chair with a speed he was dubious came from any remaining strength left in his body, but, from the urge to flee the sight of Katniss and this rich man making lovey-dovey eyes at each other. He could not stomach it much longer. It was not that he was jealous, or he wished to be on the receiving end of her love-filled gaze, it was simply he could not... stomach it... pure and simple. She was his best friend, he was involved with Mason in whatever liaison they were having together; he was happy with Mason, regardless of their secrecy and sneaking around he felt alive every time her fingernails raked down his naked back, or every time she would just wink at him in passing, his heart beat quickened and his groin area ached, and he had all kinds of trouble trying to keep an impassive face, when all he wanted to do was smile like a fool and pull Mason somewhere hidden so he could kiss speechless that filthy mouth of hers.

Mason was crass, stubborn, intimidating, experienced, and she scared the hell out of him, but he soon discovered, whatever feelings were developing in his heart for the woman, were worlds apart different for what he had ever felt for his Catnip. It took him a while to realize what it was so jarringly different, and one night, when he was patrolling the corridors to the Prince's rooms, he had the misfortune to hear faintly as it was through the doors and curtains and everything else that served as cushion, his Catnip moaning and begging for " _harder, faster, deeper_ ", he knew right then and there he had never, ever, thought or even entertained the idea of Katniss as a sexual being. He never really allowed his mind to ventured into carnal desires when he thought of her, and he was not exactly sure why, but in his mind, not even the one time he had forced a kiss on her lips he felt a stirring of the caliber he knows he's capable of feeling when kissing Mason. Since then, he has felt like he walked in on his sister on a brothel, because that is exactly who Katniss Everdeen is to him: Sister! He felt sick, dirty and uncomfortable, after hearing her wanton cries, which was laughable as she was undoubtedly with child and he realized this child was conceived through sex, and not by some miraculous act of almighty God as apparently he had convinced himself to believe; but with a belly protruding slightly from beneath her loose gowns, it soon would be impossible to hide any longer the existence of this baby, he hoped Mellark had figured something out already, time was ticking fast for them.

"If it is all the same, your Highness, I think I will beg you give me leave for the night. I will rather go meditate in solitude..."

"Take Johanna with you!" interrupted Katniss jumping out of her own couch.

"Um... Excuse me?" Gale said paling slightly, throat dry and a little startled. He saw how Peeta gave her a disapproving look, shook his head, and then processed to talk.

"I believe what Miss Everdeen is suggesting," he said haltingly, "Is that both you and Dame Mason take the night off, rest from your duties and return in the morning refreshed. Both of you had been working busy, long schedules, and since you just arrived from riding from Quattro, and Dame Mason has been body guarding without a break for days, it is only fair you both get some time to just... Rest." He gave Katniss another look as she giggled behind a dainty hand. "We can manage without you for the night, provided you approve of Dame Mason's dismissal for the day of course. The decision rests on you as her officer." Said Peeta diplomatically, Gale's steely eyes grew two sizes, as he gaped first at Peeta and  then at Katniss that was struggling to hide her giggles.

"I... I do not... I am not sure Mason would be willing to leave her post... Not that she would have any reason too if I leave mine for the day" Gale's face was so crimson and the stuttering was such a un-Gale thing to witness him do, there was no way to suppress her giggles anymore so she finally burst out laughing.

"I am sure she will not have any objections if you offer!" Gale simply gaped at his best friend, his mouth trying to speak words that refused to come out, "Oh Gale... We have kno..."

"No reason to hold you here any longer!" intervened Peeta trying to save the poor Captain the embarrassment. "Please, if you consider it wise, by all means, allow a guard change and let Dame Mason know she is dismissed from her duties for the rest of the day, she might have... Other business to tend to" saying this he gave Katniss a reproachful glare instantly sobering her, she coughed and cleared her throat, and quietly mutter an apology for her uncalled for behavior. Gale only nodded to the both of them. A salute to the Prince, and after a second of hesitancy, he said that Boggs would be taking Johanna's place for the next 24 hours, at which, he could have sworn he saw Peeta's lip twitch and his eyes spark knowingly for a second, but, when looked with closer attention his face was cleaned of any misgivings.

After he left the study, they heard his voice float loudly through the door as he instructed his Knight, in a very official, proper manner to wait in her post for her replacement, Sir Boggs, and proceeded to quickly explained that she had been granted 24 hours of leave. They did not hear what else had been exchanged between the two, but a minute later they heard a knock on the door and Johanna came into the room, quizzical expression covering her heart shape face, she fixed them both with an accusing glare,

"My Lord... Miss Everdeen's new escort, sir Boggs will be here soon. I just wanted to inquire if there is anything else I can do for either of you before I retire?" The suspicious edge in her voice still present, Peeta on his part was not even pretending he was innocent in front of his friend, his mischievous Cheshire Cat grin distinctly displayed shamelessly, which Katniss thought was incredibly unfair, ' _how was it that he was allowed to have his fun with Jo, but she was chided for trying the same with Gale?'_ She looked at him with such annoyance in her gaze, he quickly stopped his smiling, and cleared his voice, gesturing Johanna that they were indeed alright and she could take her leave as soon as Boggs arrived.

"What did you do?" Johanna whispered with narrowed brown eyes flying from guilty face to guilty face.

Katniss smiled... or grimaced, rather. "Well, your Captain had just arrived from a very long ride, he was just given some rotten news, and he was clearly unhappy by whatever brought him back to the Capitol without the King... We figured... Well..." She looked at Peeta, either searching for support, or courage, or even the right words to finish her explanation, neither of them knew, but, he was the one with the silver tongue after all, and he was an expert on pacifying Johanna's moods, he took over from Katniss.

"We decided, Captain Hawthorne could use a friendly ear tonight, and I have been meaning to give you some time off to rest, seeing as there is not prevailing need for Katniss to be watched over at the moment... Well, it just made sense to give you both the night off. So... Go forth and be a friendly ear for Mr. Hawthorne. You have my... Um... Blessing, to fraternize in public... Or in private?" And there it was... His devious smile came and went as a flash but Johanna had seen it clear as day.

"And, when should I lend Mr. Hawthorne that friendly ear, you suggest? Over drinks or over my pillows while he is pounding vigorously into me?" Johanna's voice was icy, and she fixed them both with a scowl that could rival any of Katniss'. They both felt a bit guilty, but not enough to apologize, so she continued, "How long have you known? And although I appreciate what you two are doing here, I am still angry as shit with your sneaky ways!" She spat.

Katniss cringed a little, but told her with a smile, "Lady Clove had the misfortune to... Walk in on you. She then told everyone she was in terrible need of some lye to clean her eyes with" she laughed at the memory, "It was quite funny... Um... It was not all ' _that_ ' funny... Sorry Jo" she back pedaled with a fake cough as she saw Johanna's murderous glare.

"You people are impossible!" Her arms thrown up into the air. "Fine! It is best you know, because honestly, it was getting pretty old trying to cover up our escapades." She was interrupted by a knock of the Peacekeeper guarding the door announcing Boggs arrival, after he was acknowledged; he retrieved leaving them alone once more. Johanna turned back to her friends, aggravation still forcing her eyes into slits, "Well... I will be going then. Have fun with Boggs. I will go fuck my Captain's brains out as you two perverts have guessed! I suggest you keep your gossipy noses out of our business from now on!" With that she turned around and stomped away.

"She is not really that angry... She is just embarrassed." said Peeta failing to suppress his laughter. "She will forgive us. Why I am positively sure, come tomorrow evening, she will be her sunny, cheerful self!" Katniss only stared at the door, a soft smile painted on her lips.

"I truly hope so... Because I dread having her shooting daggers at me every time she had to look my way." After a second, she scrunched up her nose as if with disgust, "Actually, I am not sure I want her to be happy with me either... She might want to share about their secret _escapades_ " They both shuddered and laughed about it.

When the laughter had died, he took a few steps until he was standing in front of her, all levity gone. "You know, you told Jo, Gale had received rotten news today." She turned her face away from him. She had been trying to ignore the topic so far, but, she knew it would be no use to pretend she had not been affected. "The news was as bad for you as they were for Gale, sweetheart. I know it. And... Just as Jo will serve as a friendly ear for Gale, I want to be the same for you. You know you can tell me anything, right? I will always be here for you, no matter what the issue is!" He sealed his promise with a tender, loving kiss, and she simply allowed him to embraced her and made her feel safe and protected.

Another knock on the door startled the lovers, making Katniss rush to extricated herself from Peeta's arms, he simply let go of her while addressing the knocker on the other side of the mahogany door, telling them it was alright to come in.

"My Lord... Telegram." the Peacekeeper guard informed. At Peeta's gesture, he came forward depositing into Peeta's hand an envelope containing possibly the worst news he could have expected, that day.

 

 

 _His Highness Prince Peter Mellark Duke of Merch_  
Royal Palace of Panem  
The Capitol

 _Terrible news from home_ **STOP** _Miss Primrose Everdeen has been taken by force from healing center while alone_ **STOP** _Assailants fail to spot miss Rue who is now our only witness to the crime_ **STOP** _Search parties had been deployed and used extensively with poor results_ **STOP** _There is reason to believe according to evidence found she has been taken to Capitol_ **STOP** _Urgently send instructions of how to proceed from here onward_ **STOP** _Mrs. Everdeen and young Miss Rue under heavy sedation under Lady Trinket care_ **STOP**

_Your servant  
Thomas Homes_

 

 

It took him about five minutes to make sense of the words he had been staring at intently. Only when Katniss made a move to peek at the piece of parchment in his hand, had he reacted, crumpling the telegram in his fist in hopes she had not caught what was written in it, but it was too little to slow a reaction, she had read the whole first line, and knew something terrible had happened to her baby sister, her reaction, unlike his, was swift.

"Let me read it!" She demanded angrily leaping on the tip of her toes, trying to reach the piece of paper Peeta was now holding above his head in a death grip.

"Katniss...!" He tried, but she pushed, she hopped and then tried to punch him in the pit of the stomach to knock the air out of his lungs and retrieve the telegram from his grasp. She failed in her attempts and big, fat, angry tears stained her face, she was screaming now.

"Give it here Peeta Mellark! Tell me what happened to my sister, right now!"

Suddenly she was engulfed in his warmth, her face crushed against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her still fighting form, arms flailing and trying to punch his sides.

"I will get her back! I swear! I will not rest until she is safely back in your arms, I promise! Just... Please... Let me protect you!" His voice desperate, he was crying too, he had not realized his face was wet as well until he kissed her hair damped by his own tears. "I will find her, baby, I will. You will have Primy back! Boggs! BOGGS!"

Boggs and the other peacekeeper were in the room with weapons at the ready before Peeta's voice rang out, both man scanned the room rapidly, looking for signs of danger before Boggs approached the distressed couple huddling in the middle of the floor; at some point, Katniss had fallen to her knees and Peeta just followed still clutching her trembling body. Without a word, he handed the wrinkled slip of paper to Boggs, who read it quickly and stood straight in front of Peeta awaiting orders.

"Find Gale and Johanna tell them that their little rendezvous will have to wait... Prim is missing and we need them both here. Then dispatch a few of your most trusted men to Merch and Seam, I want my family escorted here, I want all of them with me! This includes: Mrs. Everdeen, Lady Trinket, The Earl of Seam, Mr. Homes and the Housemaid Rue. Nobody is to be left behind!" He squeezed Katniss a little tighter, she was now quietly sobbing curled on his chest, not moving much. "I also want to send a telegram to Mr. Homes informing him that they are to come to the Capitol as soon as possible once their escort arrives. Mr. Thresh and Mr. Dalton should be left in charge of Winter Home, the farm and the Healing Center until someone can return to them, advise them to take help from the Housemaid Cecilia if necessary. I can write all this down if you so prefer it." But Boggs merely shook his head in negative.

"I have it memorized, My Lord. Do not fret, I will do as you have commanded." He tipped his head, and turned on his heel, "Come lad, you better return to your post until help arrives" he said addressing the young peacekeeper.

"Come my love, let us sit on the sofa," Peeta scooped his concubine lovingly in his arms, and stood up, he sat with her curled up on his lap, her head hidden in the curve of his neck, all he did for the longest time was combed his fingers softly through her hair he had since unbraided. After sometime had crawled by, a timid knock resounded in the still study, Katniss had cried herself to sleep and Peeta was just holding her steadily closed to his chest. Without his said so, the door creaked open and a worried looking Cashmere came in, followed by Clove and Johanna.

"How is she doing?" asked Cashmere in a quiet whisper. Peeta was currently reclined on his couch, one leg propped up on a cushion, the other firmly planted on the floor, and a slumbering Katniss on top of him tightly wound in a cat like ball.

"Poor thing is having a terrible day" his voice was scratchy with disuse. "I am not sure how long she will be able to sleep, so..." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "What news have you to report?" He asked in a whispered business tone directed at Johanna.

"Captain Hawthorne sent Boggs, Mitchell, Darius and a female new recruit for the rebellion, Jackson, to bring your family back from Winter Home. I personally saw that telegrams were dispatched to Lord Abernathy, Thom and Finn, but if my gut feeling is right, old man Haymitch is already with dear Effie dealing with the shit unleashed in your house. I took an executive decision, calling Finnick and Annie here, I don't have enough bodyguards to send everywhere, and honestly, I rather have them all in one place where I can keep my own eyes trained on them, I hope that is alright with you." She waited for his nod of approval, "Peeta... There is something else." She hesitated a moment, but just then, Katniss stirred and woke up with a start. She sat up abruptly, saw the people surrounding her and got scared out of her mind, she started thrashing and sobbing, it took all of them and almost twenty minutes to calm her down.

"Peter, I want her in our chambers, now! There is no reason to keep her in here, she needs to rest..."

"I need my sister!" Katniss screamed interrupting Cashmere's harsh whispering.

"I swore to you, I would bring her back to you, and I am hell bent on it! You can count on that!" Peeta said firmly to her, but his hand delicately cupped her face holding their gaze into each other's eyes. "Cashmere is right though, you need to go rest, and I will stay here and coordinate things with the Captain..."

"No!" She answered Peeta emphatically. "I will not leave your side until you deliver on your promise! You will not have me sit somewhere in the darkness and make decisions on my behalf without my participation in the process! Plus you promised to stay with me!"

"Katniss..." He started to protest, but she cut him off.

"I said No! I said I am staying with you!" She jut her chin defiantly at him, and he rubbed his face with both hands in frustration.

"Pardon me Highness; why not make the living area of your quarters into a makeshift command center?" Asked Lady Clove raising an eyebrow, then added in a more conciliatory tone her reasoning, "It will allow for Miss Everdeen to rest in comfort while still staying in the thick of all the planning and decision making. I believe it will be beneficial for all parts," she finished with a small shrug, that might had been imperceptible to the untrained eye but to the ones present in the room was clear as day, she was offering an out to satisfy everyone.

"Alright! We will move to the living areas of my quarters, have everything come through the usual channels; we do not want misinformation of any type. Send word to Victor's Village, I want the Hawthornes to be moved in there as soon as possible, have Mrs. Seeder prepare rooms for the Baron and his family as well to the party coming from Merch. Have your guards ready! No one is to even come within a mile from Victor's Village without the proper credentials and a valid reason to be there, not even the neighbors!" He had been dishing out orders out into the room while grabbing stuff from his desk here and there, soon, Cashmere was rutting around for some container to dump all the pounds upon pounds of papery and ink bottles and books Peeta had been piling up on a corner of his desk,

"Have someone bring to our rooms, all the things His Highness has selected and placed on his desk." Said Cashmere pleasantly to the peacekeeper at the door, the young man blinked for a moment, then nodded, blinked and stutter his response when she smiled sweetly at him.

"As you wish your Highness" Apparently, being gifted with a smile from Cashmere Mellark was as closed to heaven as a young peacekeeper would ever get.

Within minutes, they had moved everything to their living quarters and Cashmere was giving orders to maids to bring snacks and drinks and warm baths and a host of other necessities, she was going to care for her cousin now, because she felt terrible that the youngest Mockingjay, the last one, was missing.

Later that night, after Katniss was forced to take a cup of tea sweetened with sleeping syrup, Peeta came to sit next to Johanna and Gale. He threw them an apologetic glance before the stress of the day made him hunch over in defeat,

"How did this happen?" He said holding back tears "Prim was slated to come to the Capitol for a surprise visit in three weeks, to celebrate Katniss' nineteenth birth anniversary... Prim was supposed to be safe in Merch, as safe as I could have made it for her... I was so stupid to believe I could ever keep _anyone_ safe!" He slumped on his chair, his head thrown back on the head rest, tears slowly tracking down the sides of his face. "One thing is sure; this will truly be an unforgettable birthday for my sweet Katniss!" He chuckled mirthlessly and shut his eyes closed.

"Peet, honey... We will find her... there was no way you could have seen this coming, it was a low blow, plus... Um... Gale-Gale has some unsettling news to share that now seem pretty damned incriminating..." Peeta sharply turned to look at Gale who stood on his full official garb, cape and all, ram-rod straight, and his face full of anger, fright and uneasiness.

"What is it?" Asked Peeta curtly, seating up straighter.

"Right before we left for Quattro, the King knighted Brutus without having completing any of the requirements to even be considered for the honors!" Gale's stance was one of intense discomfort and anger, his fists clenching and unclenching as the rest of him looked stiff and unmoving. "Brutus was sent out on a _secret mission for the Crown_  almost immediately, when I asked why not send _any_ of the more experienced men for such a task, I was told to never questioned my King. Brutus returned perhaps a week later, locked himself in the royal chambers for hours and departed once more, only to return this very morning, in fact, as soon as he arrived the King ordered to be left alone with him in his private chambers, when he came out, he order us all to return to Palace at once. He handpicked three men to stay behind, I know for a fact those men were in cahoots with Brutus and very loyal to the late Prince Cato. At first I feared a coup of sorts, I insisted on stay behind as well, but was threatened to have my Captain insignia removed and thrown in the dungeons for insubordination, so I took my men and left... Now... I fear this is all connected!" His voice and the fire in his eyes only denounce his rage.

"Well... We will see in due time if this happenings are indeed related, it certainly is suspicious, which means we will need to thread extra carefully. Captain, I think it is high time we call in an underground meeting, spies need to be sent out!"

 

=======================

 

Two days later, the first wave of 'family' arrived in the shape of the Baron and Baroness Odair, with them came baby Finnick, Nanny Mags and to Annie's never ending annoyance Mother Odair. The reunion had been full of tears and embraces and small tiny kisses on chubby infant cheeks, for when Katniss held the cherubic Lord Odair, she felt that she could forget for a moment that she had failed to protect her own sister, and would probably fail her own little one on the way.

The tension of three full days of knowing nothing about the whereabouts of her sister came to a peak, once her mother descended the carriage that had brought her to the Palace, to say there had been a heart wrenching meltdown between the Everdeen women was an understatement; it was a good thing that Hazelle Hawthorne had insisted on being there for the Everdeen matron's arrival, she quickly took control of the situation before it turned into a screaming match right in the middle of the palace courtyard, in which mother and daughter would had potentially say very damaging words to one another. The ensuing tears and apologies covered everyone in the place, everyone felt responsible for Prim's kidnaping in their own way, Peeta thought he failed to keep her safe and put bodyguards in every corner of the Healing Center to watch over her, Thom felt it was his fault for not being there, for not running faster, for not having a clue of where she was taken to, Rue felt guilt that she hid, shaken, frozen and scared as she witnessed how her best friend was carried in arms of strangers while laying limp and unconscious; there was a lot of guilt going around, and Hazelle was in no mood to put up with it any longer, the first ones to hear it were the Everdeens.

"It was not your fault dears, Primrose is old enough to stay home alone, to tend to her patients on her own, she is not a little girl anymore and for what little missy Rue here says, she was overpowered and it would have serve no purpose to try and stop people that clearly had resort to incapacitate poor Prim, you lassie did not stand a chance," she said pointing a finger at Rue, "They could have disposed of you even worse and then we would not even have the description of the captors..." She took a breath and continued with the barrage of reasons to why none of them were responsible for this crime, but as much victims as Prim was. "No one could have prevented this heinous deed, none of us expected something so vile to happen, but we do owe it to Prim to keep our heads on straight and our minds fresh and open, Lady Trinket said she suspects the woman described by miss Rue is someone we have already heard of before, now I suggests we let the Knights get a word with Rue... They might learn something useful from all the observations Mr. Thom collected in their searches... All of you need to calm and let the professionals work, all of you did what you were supposed to do, now it is time to allow Gale and his men do their part and in the mean time, I suggest we all pray to the deity to look after our beloved Prim!" She gave everyone a look that left no room to argue.

For all the information they had gathered from Rue's eye witness account, Thom's search parties, and what little intelligence the spy network had collected, it was pretty much confirmed that Gale's suspicions were becoming true.

For starters, it only sufficed Rue's descriptions of the two individuals she saw carrying Prim away, to pin them down as Brutus and his lover, Enobaria. There was very little doubt once Rue described the woman's fanged teeth to know there was only one woman fitting that specific descriptor in the whole kingdom, so there was a very good chance Prim was being held somewhere in Quattro, Finnick offered to go back home and keep watch in case something came up, but the rest of the rebel command decided it would be risky to tip the King of their suspicions, by sending the Baron, alone, back home. For what their Intel said, the King had already been informed that all the people important to the new Prince had been mobilized and put under heavy guard out of reach of danger, it would be nearly impossible to cause any harm to any of them without openly show the King's hand behind it all.

They moved their center of operations from the palace, to Victor's Village, now that everyone was there Katniss and her mother were basically in lockdown, they only moved with Boggs and Mitchell tailing them everywhere, even inside the grounds of the house. Not that they left the place that much. In the less than a week that had gone by, Katniss's Baby had become more active within its mother's womb. Mrs. Everdeen had taken to practice different tests on her pregnant daughter's belly, just to keep occupied, the child would move like crazy when her father spoke nearby, which made him incredibly happy, smug, and proud... albeit the circumstances, because when his child was performing leaps and tricks in the depths of her mother's body, she was able to recognize his voice! he had finally gotten to feel his child kick his warm palm as he rested it over Katniss enlarged stomach, that was possibly the most magical moment in Peeta's life, it was too bad Katniss had cried like a banshee afterwards, screaming that she could never bring this child to a world where all this horrible things happened to innocent people and she rather die before giving the King another victim to terrorize, not sooner she had gone into hysterics her mother had jammed a syringe with some kind of clear liquid into her arm, subduing her, and rendering her sleepy quite instantaneously. It seemed Mrs. Everdeen was capable of keeping her depression at bay when she had Katniss and the baby to focus on.

At this point, Mother Odair had demanded she be sent back home, away from all the drama that surrounded the royal family. For the first time in his life, Finnick yelled at his mother for her insensitivity, telling her that as head of the Odair family he had decided they would stay where they were, and everyone would be happy about their circumstances, in that the Prince himself was providing protection to all of them equally, so she should feel honored to be considered part of the royal family... if only by association. It was the end of her tyrannical comments towards her daughter in law as well, since he threw in a few jabs about how his wife was to be given the respect she deserved from now on, which made Annie fall in love even deeper with her husband, if that was a possibility at all.

Five days after the kidnaping and relocation, all the women sat in the drawing room; the children: Vick, Posy and Finnick Jr. had been sent up to nap that afternoon after spending the whole morning collecting flowers, running and playing in the gardens... at least in the big kids case, Finnick Jr. merely sat there in his little pram watching with interest until he got hungry and cried out for his mother to feed him.

The baby, inside Katniss belly apparently was not informed that it was time for all children to take a rest, giving their adults time to rest from them in turn. Tears started forming in her eyes, she tried to staunch them, to keep them at bay or hide them, but they slowly and methodically came, there was no stopping them once the child started its endless tap dancing on Katniss bladder.

"What is it?" asked Cashmere over her embroidery.

"Nothing... Do not mind me, please" Katniss quickly responded wiping away a tear.

"Is it the baby moving again?" Asked Annie without even raising her sight to them, she, along Mags and Clove had been knitting an obscene amount of mittens, hats and blankets, and only recently had graduated from infant to toddler size.

"It is nothing!" She said hastily.

"Brainless, you are crying! Of course is something... People do not just start crying for no apparent reason!" Spat Johanna from her reading niche. "If the little booger is moving too much, you should... You know, sing it to sleep! You have said it has work before... do it now." She suggested with a shrug and a sideways glance.

"I... I do not feel like singing much at the moment" said Katniss with finality.

"Then have auntie Cash do it for you! God! You _are_ brainless!" Returned Johanna in annoyance as she sat in a more lady like manner, from her previous favorite position: sprawled over an arm chair, one leg dangling over from one of the arm rests while her head lulled to one side, and half her body laid on the bottom cushion of the chair, her other leg straight out in front of her. She knew it irked Mother Odair to see her sit like this, as she was one of the only people to still addressed her as 'Lady Mason' saying that she had called her that since Johanna was a little girl, she was not about to stop now in her old age. Everyone guessed this was Mother Odair's little way to show she cared for the young woman and to passively protest the injustice done to her.

Katniss tensed at the sound of the name 'Auntie Cash', Cashmere had also shifted uncomfortably in her couch, returning her gaze to her work immediately. But it was Mrs. Everdeen the one to speak and break the uncomfortable silence.

"I think it is a fine idea, Dame Mason, I think we should all sing... My grandchild has no knowledge of the sadness that envelops us adults out in the scary outside world, and I think it is important to keep that innocence intact for as long as we can." The woman's voice cracked at several points, but she communicated her opinion firmly after all. "Please... Let us all sing! If her Highness does the honors, we will gladly follow."

Cashmere just sat there, staring at her closest living relative, and finally nodded after a moment of pure muteness.

**" _Deep in the meadow,  
_** _**Under the willows,  
A bed of grass..."** _

Rue's voice was the first to join in, with Katniss' being last; in seconds, the whole house was filled with the white voices of mothers, potential mothers, aunts and grandmothers, voices of maternal love. The child still squirming in her mother's womb finally calmed and went to sleep. Mrs. Everdeen had taken to stroke her daughter's pregnant belly when she was feeling at the brink, before melancholy pulled her under it's dark embrace, feeling the new life within her daughter made her stay firmly in the present, in the tangible world, despite the painful reality, she swore she was not going to abandon her children to depression ever again and if her anchor was a child that was not even born yet, then so be it. That was how Peeta and the other men found them a short while later, the last few notes of their lullaby sang, and almost every eye dampened.

"Peter..." Said Cashmere so soft it was almost a whisper. Peeta turned to see his wife standing next to him, as he looked on at his concubine sitting in a plush wing chair, the hands of the older woman caressing her face, hair or stomach, her mother kneeling at her feet talking soothingly into her face, asking her if she wanted to go up for a nap herself. He did not reach to hear Katniss' answer, Cashmere had pulled him out of the room by the arm. "Peter, there is something very important I need to speak to you about." She said almost timidly.

He did not have it in him to deny her the request, as much as he craved Katniss' company, he knew his wife deserved to be heard and he was going to give her the opportunity to say whatever she wanted to say. He gently held her hand and pushed her in front of him, when she was about a pace ahead he moved his hand to the middle of her back to guide her into his study. He made them both strong drinks, knowing that this would be one of those difficult conversations they had been having for the last few weeks.

"Peter... I am ready to let you all go." She muttered after thanking him for her glass of dry rum.

He looked at her in confusion, brows furrowed. "What do you mean exactly?" He asked gently, never taking his deep blue eyes away from her green ones.

She sighed deeply, and stood to pace for a moment. "I will sign any divorce documents you present me with." She said with no vacillation in her voice. This of course took Peeta by total surprise, he was confused and he had no idea how to react, noting this, Cashmere scratched her forehead, paced in circles one more second and explained her decision. "I have been struggling with this for a long time now, I know this family belongs to you, not me. I know this child belongs to Katniss and not me... But today, Mason called me _Auntie Cash_ and I liked the sound of it so much it scared me, but when I looked up,not one of them seemed perturbed about the moniker... Except for Katniss herself perhaps, but I can wager it is my own doing. I did not make it easy for her to warm up to me with my behavior and demands, did I?" She chuckled mirthlessly. "The thing is, that I would not mind being relegated to _Auntie Cash_  if I was allowed into the child's life at least marginally, I really do not want to lose what remains of my bloodline, and I am conscious enough to know that by not removing myself from the middle of **your**  family, I am setting myself for exactly what I fear so much... Solitude... Loneliness... Peter, I do not want to be your wife anymore if that means I cannot ever hope to be Auntie Cash, so, please... Divorce me... Marry her... Let me be part of whatever little bit of your family I can be part of, I swear I will give you my blessing in writing if necessary... Just... Do not turn me away from my only family! Do not abandon me now, or nothing I have ever done in my life would mean a fucking thing!" Her voice quivered for the very first time since she started her speech, and by the time he had set his untouched drink on the table and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, she was sobbing.

"I will never abandon you! I swear!" He impulsive kissed her head, "I want my child to fall asleep to the melodious voice of her Auntie Cash every time she comes to visit... Just, do not make the visits very close between...?" She laughed in between sobs, and patted him on the back. He smiled down at her tear stain face and held her chin between his thumb and index finger, "Thank you! You have made me so incredibly happy today!" She laughed again a little louder,

"Oh heavens! This so fucked up. I made you happy the day I answered your divorce proposition!" It was his turn to chuckle.

"Hey, no one will ever accuse us of having a traditional marriage!" He said grinning down at her wiping off her wayward tears.

"True!" She said stepping away from his arms, "So... How do we make this marriage finished?"

"Well... _Auntie Cash._.." He grinned at her and she could not stop a giggle, it felt right to be able to laugh this awful day away. "I will have to put Finnick to work on it; he might already have something drafted... But nothing written" he said a bit sheepishly, and she simply laughed at his apologetic face.

"It is alright Pete, I knew you had already commissioned the documents the first time you brought the divorce up. I am actually surprise you do not have a copy of the divorce edict in your drawer waiting for this opportunity." He pursed his lips, and shook his head.

"I want to be fair to you; I want us to be able to negotiate. So, you can just tell me what it is you want and it is yours, then off course you will be allowed to have a legal advisor look over the divorce agreement and then when we are both satisfied we sign!" He said gently but, seriously. She nodded.

"If that is what you think is best."

They both retuned to the sitting room, Katniss apparently had decided to not take that nap after all and Peeta rolled his eyes, as soon as she flashed him a fiery glance full of jealousy and contempt.

"Where have you been, my Lord?" She asked petulantly, not even trying to hide the glare she sent Cashmere, who only stood there, eyes trained on her pointy navy blue shoes that matched her blue and gold gown perfectly.

"I was discussing an important topic with her Highness; I apologize if my absence was cause for concern." He said softly, clearly bending to her bad mood.

"Your Highness!" Mrs. Everdeen quickly deviated the conversation to safer topics "It is always an honor I cherish every time we get to sing together!"

"If I am honest, I am also glad we had that opportunity to sing like the Mockingjays of old, and the addition of all you amazing ladies' voices, makes the experience even more special!" said Cashmere softly lifting her eyes to meekly return a smile to Mrs. Everdeen. She, then tentatively approached Katniss and Peeta, this however Mrs. Everdeen did not seem very happy with, the picture of her daughter between a married, wealthy couple, while she carried the man's child that was not her husband, was something she truly disliked; Cashmere was right in front of the younger woman, and reached a hand to smooth a lock of hair behind her ear, Peeta instinctively pulled Katniss away and Cashmere flashed him a hurt look that he quickly returned with an apologetic one. He was still not totally comfortable with other people touching _His_ Katniss, it matter not who it was. "May I have a moment with Miss Katniss, my Lord? There is something important I wish to convey to her..." Before he could say anything she looked into his eyes and the both of them held their sights "I told you before, Peter..." She said very quietly, "She is yours to love, mine to fulfill the roles that I cannot fulfill myself. Please, Peter, it will only take a few minutes. I feel it is my burden alone to explain the accord we had reached" finally Peeta nodded his acquiescence and let go of Katniss' waist.

They only went to the further most corner of the room; they sat on small ottomans lining the back wall. It was easy to see their facial expressions from where they sat, but their whispered exchanged was not overheard by any of them. Peeta signaled Finnick, Haymitch and Effie to come seat with him, Johanna was also called but she only shook her head and pointed at the two mockingjays huddled at the other side of the room, signifying she would rather stay guard over her friend.

Both parties talked about the same issue, Cashmere had finally agreed to a divorce, thus Finnick quickly stood up from his perch and in three strides was bending low into his wife's ear, kissed the crown of her head, then his mother's and he was out of the room in seconds, straight to his law books! Meanwhile, the rest of Peeta's party celebrated in whispers the good news, with hugs and kisses and even happy tears in Effie's case. Katniss, though, seem to have lost her eyebrows into her hairline, as she kept raising them in surprise the more Cashmere talked. The rest of the room was quietly pretending to mind their own businesses without much success.

Finally, after a few minutes, the two women returned to the group and Peeta called his wife to stand next to him, he put an arm around her shoulders, and with the brightest smile he could mustered he announced their divorce to the rest of the room. Then quickly he fell on one knee in front of Katniss, making the marriage proposal official before their family and closest friends. It was a bizarre scene to say the least, people were hugging the divorcees, congratulating them, and then they were also hugging and congratulating Katniss and Peeta. Only Thom seemed put out about the whole affair, but somehow had made himself small enough to escape the room.

As Thom listlessly walked down a corridor leading to the patio, a gate opened to one side. He knew it was Gale on instinct; he was the only person other than Peeta himself who could go in and out of the Village at their pleasure without being interrogated at the entrance.

"Thom!" Gale rushed towards him, "I bring news, where is the Prince?" He said so immersed in his news, he failed to see the sourness on the other man's stance and features, until his bitter response pricked his ears.

"They are all in the drawing room... Celebrating His Highness's Divorce dash Engagement announcements... If you hurry, I am sure you will be able to score a flute of champagne to toast their long happy life!" Gale stopped his nervous fidgeting to study the man in front of him, he could not resist the desire to chide him a little, before telling him first what he came here to announce himself.

" ** _I wouldn't have believe it if I hadn't seen it myself_**." Gale simply said, with a cursory glare,

 ** _"What is that? You have to be more specific"_** came the biting answer from the other man.

"Well, is this not nice of you to begrudge your pregnant sister-to-be of a kernel of happiness in all the muck and horse shit that is her life at the moment?" He fixed the man only a couple of years older than himself with a hard stare that Thom was not shy to return. "The man you call your _brother_ , that has been dealt the possibly the most horrendous hand you can imagine, being mocked by the one person that should be the most joyous of all! Congratulations, Mr. Thom!" Thom had opened his mouth to respond, but Gale shut him up with his next little pearl of truth. "Prim has been sighted! She is fine, a little shaken, but fine. She will be in the citadel by nightfall, now, if you are done being a terrible sport, a bonehead, and the worst friend a man can have, then come with me, we have more good news to share with our family and friends!"

 

======================

 

Dusk was already setting by the time the Royal coach entered the cobblestoned yard of the Palace, carrying the aging King in it depths. It was a very subdued affair, almost like he was coming in, in secret; none of the usual fanfare and theatrics normally displayed on his honor every time he returned home from a trip of any nature and length. As if he was hiding something.

He had not sent word beforehand about his arrival, which was another irregularity in protocol; thankfully, the spy network had outdone itself, with such superb work surveying every corner of Quattro. They had finally set eyes on their prize that afternoon, when Prim was moved from a cottage the late Prince used to frequented with his minion Brutus when in holiday by the sea. The maid had not been visited by the King at all while in captivity as far as the Intel said, and she was mostly cared for by Enobaria and another woman whose name was unknown, but had a familiar resemblance to the kidnaper nonetheless.

"Thank the Goddess they are finally here!" muttered Thom under his breath looking out a window under protection of shadows.

"Shhh... You can build Fortuna an altar once little Prim is actually safe and sound from the clutches of that... Serpent!" Snapped Johanna in a harsh whisper. "For now, keep quiet!"

After Gale came into the drawing room to deliver the news that afternoon, everyone fell silent, with Haymitch taking the lead and putting a plan in the works, the main heads of the rebellion were contacted and informed that this was the perfect opportunity to implement that coup d'état they had been planning for months... years even; the whole net of rebels was activated, infiltrated in the palace, placed in key points and then they simply laid low until time came to strike.

By order of Peeta, the women, and children under seventeen, stayed in their houses, with the obvious exception of Johanna of course. Cashmere, Katniss and Mrs. Everdeen had been, reluctantly, taken to the Palace while the female rebels Jackson and Purnia sat at Victor's Village with the rest of the women and youngsters. The Duchess had to be with her husband as her rightful place, while Katniss was obligated by the King himself to stay with her lover for the foreseeable future. It was only natural to have Mrs. Everdeen stay with her daughter under the circumstances, and also because she no longer had a house in the Capitol to stay at, regardless the excuses adopted, there was an ulterior motive for her presence there: to provide immediate medical attention to Prim as soon as she was retrieved from her captors.

The plans had been coming along smoothly so far. The rebels waited silently in their hiding spots, the Prince came to greet his uncle followed by his wife and Concubine and a handful of attendants and Knights, nothing out of the ordinary.

"Nephew?" the King's accusatory tone telling a complete different story from the almost contented smile gracing his face. "What a surprise! I would have guessed you would be in your little estate entertaining your visitors!" said the old man hiding a malevolent smirk behind his bearded face.

"Pray Uncle! News have travel fast to your ears, then?" Said Peeta schooling his face into one of troubled consternation, "Did news of the reason why my closest friends have come to visit, reached you as well? This are indeed troubled times for my esteemed Miss Everdeen, Sire! Why her sister has been taken forcefully from her residence without provocation or reason at all!" He said, his face falling in sadness and despair, Katniss was amazed at how adept he was at concealing the rage she could see surging through his body by the rigidity of his posture and the flame in his eyes, other than that, one would have never guessed he was acting this whole fib. Cashmere on the other hand, yawned and hastily tried to cover up her faux pas in front of the King, who gave her an appreciative look that she returned with a seductive wink, and then masked her features with indifference... She was very good at this as well, both of them had the King fooled, but he then turned to Katniss, who Peeta had forbidden to wash her face or changed her clothes or even disguised her face in any way, she was only permitted to re-braid her hair, because she had to have some semblance of respect for the old criminal while greeting him. She now knew, Peeta had been right to make her stay as ragged as she was, she could not make her face lie for her, not as good as Peeta and Cashmere did anyways, so it was right that she looked like she had been crying for days. The choice on wardrobe was also very calculated by Cashmere herself, she had put her in the loosest gown she had, the effect being that she seemed to have actually lost weight instead of gaining any in the few weeks the old man had been gone.

But the jig was up almost as fast as it started; Brutus did not wait for the signal he was supposed to get, to bring out their hidden cargo, and the King was in the middle of lamenting such terrible news, when Enobaria came from behind the coach dragging a small figure, her clothing was not her blue linen healer apprentice uniform, and her long blond tresses were out of her usual fishtail braid and into a tight bun at the nape of her head. She was wearing a brown and cream maid uniform that distinguished the housemaids of the palace, she was half conscious, cheeks pale and limp arms and hands, but other than that, she looked relatively unchanged. She seem as she had been fed regularly at least, and her face was clean. Johanna had to physically restraint Thom from breaking out of hiding and rushing to Prim, she was forced to hit him hard in the mouth of the stomach to keep him quiet and down until the time came. Katniss on the other hand, was not restrained, mainly because Peeta had been taken by surprise and because Cashmere would not break out of character now, stakes were the highest ever.

"PRIM!" Her shout reverberated across the empty yard, and bounced on the walls, shooting the noise outside the Citadel confines. Prim groggily looked up in recognition of her sister's cries.

"K-Katn-iss?" She said and then was viciously yanked back by Enobaria, Katniss screamed again in rage and all hell broke loose. Brutus came from nowhere with a group of armed men, clearly not peacekeepers nor knights but some kind of militia, and the rebel forces left their places as well. The small battle that ensued was a blow to both sides, not all the knights were aware of the rebellion and of course came to the King's aid dutifully, while others were tired of the King's tyranny and decided to stay loyal to their Captain and fought for him.

Peeta pulled Katniss away from the fray before she could get hurt, but Brutus had pulled Prim out of their reach at the same time. In a moment of pure confusion, Peeta screamed at Cashmere to come with him but she simply turned to face him, a sad smile etched in her pretty features, in that second, Peeta saw the benevolent smile of Madge in his wife's face, time stood still; the wind blew her hair out of her neat ties, and there really was Madge, standing a foot away from him for a moment, except her eyes were the wrong color. Once she spoke, the enchantment broke.

"Someone has to make sure no other innocent girl suffers at the hands of that monster, Petey! You know... All those times I hated you... What a waste of time! I wished I had been a good wife, if only to honored Madge's memory. I can at least be a good cousin now, though. I need to go keep Prim safe." With that she kissed his cheek and leaped gracefully around men fighting each other, until she reached the King, and threw herself into his expecting arms, her sight always focused on Prim.

"Peeta! Call everyone back!" yelled Haymitch. "These fuckers are not playing fair and we are getting badly hit!"

"Gale!" Peeta bellowed, Gale who had just stuck someone with his sword turned to see him, "Pull back! Let us regroup!"

"Not yet, my Lord. Just a bit longer, I will call retreat once I see what I am looking to get!" He yelled back, as another man launched at him and he easily evaded the attack. Peeta nodded, but told Haymitch to go inside and keep an eye on Katniss who was nearly catatonic with worry.

"Come on sweetheart!" He said pulling her to stand. She followed reluctantly, "This is no place for a pregnant, helpless, unarmed woman such as yourself" he said, not really in a condescending tone, but it nevertheless rubbed her the wrong way and spurred her to life once more.

"Shut up Haymitch! I might be pregnant and unarmed, but the hell I am helpless!" She said shaking his grasp from her elbow; she marched with more purposed than she had in months, into the close by armory. Where they had been hiding the surplus of contraband weapons the rebellion was to use when the time was ripe.

Haymitch followed her closely, "As much as I like it when you show that spunk of yours girl, I really do not enjoy my niece to being disrespectful to her elder!" He snapped at her, as she reached for her very own bow and arrows she had brought with her from Merch, it was the same one Peeta had given her all those months ago, she was now pulling back the string trying it's tension, she balanced the smooth riser in her hand, twirled it with a graceful ease like it weighed nothing, and scooped up her matching quiver full of arrows, the swell of her belly irrefutably visible once her weapon and ammo hanged from her back and the straps pressed on and around her frame. She did look like a slightly pregnant Diana, ready for a hunt. "Whoa Sweetheart! Where do you think you are going now?" Exclaimed Haymitch with eyes bulging out of sockets. 

"I am Pregnant, I am not helpless! And now, I am armed! It is high time I got my sister back! Now if you excuse me, I have enemies to shoot!" She snapped in his direction, she tried to brush past him, but he caught her elbow again.

"No! The boy just sent you in, so you would be kept safe! Away from the harmful weapons and such! He will have my head if I allow you back out there!" He said dragging her back, while she trudged valiantly forward, half an inch at a time.

"Let go of me!" She puffed with the effort, "I have to save Prim!" She gritted angrily. 

"Yes, you and I both! But neither of us should be the one shooting at people... Do you even know the cost of taking a life?" He grounded pulling her back. "It is staggering, sweetheart... Please stay here!"

"If you are so scared of Peeta, you can tell him that I threaten to shoot you if you did not let me go... It will not even be a lie, since I am getting ready to stab you with an arrow!" She advanced one more inch with the dead weight that was pulling her back, "I have to go settle an account with that bitch Enobaria!" She said, but finally broke down and stopped fighting to get away. Exhaustion won out, and she was crying tears of frustration. After a few minutes of the both of them trying to catch their breaths, Haymitch wheezed out,

"Yeah, believe me, I wish I could break that bastard's, Brutus, face in two... right down the middle... but, with all their evil deeds, Sweetheart, they are only simple lackeys!"

"What are you saying old man? That I should not hate them and wish them they get their right deserves? I will end that bitch!" Katniss said channeling her inner Johanna brusquely.

"Not at all, Katniss... but, there is one thing you should never allow yourself to forget, Enobaria, Brutus... they are not the big target here."

"Which is it then?" She spat impatiently.

" _ **You just remember who the enemy is!"**_ Haymitch said somberly, his grey eyes so similar to Katniss, staring deep into her own, until understanding was visible in the depths of hers. " _ **That's all. Now go on. Get out of here.**_ If you still want to fight, I will say you pointed your loaded bow right into my eye." She was not about to give him a chance to change his mind.

Out in the courtyard, Peeta had lost sight of Cashmere, he was intently looking at Prim and how she was being held in plain sight off all, like a flag that needed to be captured to win the game, a taunt against the opposing team.

Antonius, the King's right hand henchman, fell with Johanna's dagger deep in his chest. He had given her a bloody lip and an enormous welt under her left eye. But she smirked at Gale and blew him a kiss as she slinked back behind friendly lines. This was exactly what Gale was waiting for, to take down the King's best fighter and for all purposes his second in command. He called a retreat and truce to tend to their injured, both sides had them by the pound.

The King was inconspicuously absent for a moment, so his side, either escaped or put their arms down and or simply changed sides, it was now obvious to which side the balance tipped. When the King finally came forth, he called his nephew to _negotiate._

"So finally you have shown your true colors, nephew! You are not better than that good for nothing Cato, who had been a terrible disappointment since he was old enough to envy you for whatever reason he saw you as better than him! I wish he was here to see once and for all, you were nothing but an usurper!" The King said with and edge of mockery.

"Oh please uncle, let us be frank with each other, you were never going to let me live, were you?" said Peeta calmly as he sat down at the table that had been brought out to the center of the citadel yard. "I have served you dutifully my whole life, Sire, always abiding by your rules, never speaking against your edicts over my own personal life, I married the woman you commanded, and left her in the Capitol alone as I was instructed... I never wanted to cause any problems, even when my rights and personal opinions had been stripped away from me; If you had not threaten my ward and my concubine, my Lord, I would not had found myself in the obligation to take this desperate measures" Peeta said sizing the man that was his only blood relative, outside the child growing within Katniss' womb. "I had hoped you had desisted on trying to take my ward and ruin her life forever, I even had hoped you had grown a heart the day your only son expired right in your arms!"

"Oh dear nephew! How simple can you be of mind? I cried over my Cato's corpse like a grieving father would, mainly because his death had robbed me of my legacy! But to be honest, I felt relieved that I would not have to rid myself from my own flesh and blood!" said the old man with eerie calmness.

"I am your flesh and blood, uncle... At least partly!" Counter Peeta evenly,

"You?" Cackled Snow heartily "Just because you came from my late sister's loins? She was a traitor, boy! She was supposed to wed Prince Hector from our neighboring royal family, bear his children, unify our kingdoms, instead she convinced Father that she loved that baker Mellark and should only wed for love, turning her back on her duties to this kingdom! Her actions plunged this beautiful country into turmoil for decades! All the wars that she could have prevented, while I was the one who had to deal with the conflicts and deaths of my people! I relished the moment in which I told her that her punishment for choosing your father was seeing every one of her failed attempts at motherhood play before her eyes, whether she was awake or asleep! And now, your penance will be to live in shame unless you give your legal consent to my wedding to Miss Everdeen, nephew..." Peeta's blood had filled his ears, the anger slowly inching to the brim, he countered with the negotiations, hoping against hope his uncle would see reason.

"Uncle, we are at the brink of civil war here, and just like during those wars for which you so unfairly blame my Mother for, you can avoid conflict through dialog! Many of your people have deserted you, my Lord... Please, if any good you store in your heart towards your subjects, I want this conflict to be resolved peacefully without unnecessary shedding of blood, and I kindly request you return one Miss Primrose Everdeen to me, and I promise we will cease fire, and come to an agreement... All we want is the Maiden as a sign of good will!"

But the King folded his hands over the surface of the table. "No." He said simply, "I will have the maid with or without your consent; she will bear my heir even if I have to exert force to see it happen..." Peeta felt rage boiled and erupt into a volcano of hatred and fear, he lunged himself at the old man with only his fists, but old Coriolanus was a dishonest cheat, they were both supposed to come alone and unarmed to the negotiation table, but the King had brought a hidden dagger under his sleeve. He plunged in into Peeta's shoulder, and sat him back down heavily on his chair, the pain was unbearable and the attacked had been so unexpected there was no possibility he could had ever deflected the hit. Brutus was swift in securing the new Prince and dragging him to their side; Katniss and Haymitch had just emerged from the armory and saw the attack as if in slow motion. The bow she had been carrying in her hand clattered loudly against the stony ground, the words of desperation died in her throat, as she fainted momentarily.

The King, not even bothering to look around his surroundings, continued his talking because in his eyes, once he had captured his nephew, the insurrection was over... He was wrong, but his arrogance made him blind to this fact.

"Do what is right, Peter, if not for the kingdom, then for yourself, You can be as selfish as your mother had been before you! Give me pretty Primrose, and you can keep your life! It is a very good trade if you ask me!" Peeta looked up at his uncle and a glint of something crossed his eyes, the King could not quite put his finger on what he saw there, reflected in the blue eyes that were just like the ones of his dead sister.

"Even if I were to agree to your schemes uncle... None of this would ever be legal! I already signed her life away!" Through his pain, Peeta smiled mockingly at his uncle, the old man angrily twisted the dagger in his nephew's shoulder, causing the younger man to grunt in agony, he was not about to give this crazy old bastard the satisfaction of hearing him beg for mercy.

"Sign the documents I have prepared for you or else!"

"Or else what? Will you forge my signature?" Peeta laughed coldly. "Not even my real signature will do you any good!" He taunted.

"No, I will not forge your signature... I will make one of your women suffer and then you will lose your life!" Right then Cashmere was pushed forward from behind a barricade the King's men had set up behind them, she was badly hurt, and then he saw the King signal someone who stood with a crossbow trained directly on Katniss' face. His breath hitched watching the predicament his loved ones were in, he took the pen gingerly, poised it to sign the papers someone had shoved in front of him, thus gaining some time by pretending he could actually write Primrose's freedom away to the evil King. In reality, Prim was the only one who could choose a husband for herself, he had emancipated her months ago.

"No! Take me!" Cried Katniss out, Haymitch pulled her down to the ground with him but this did not deterred her in her pleadings "Let them all go, I beg of you... I will marry you!"

"Katniss... Shut up!" Yelled Peeta from where Brutus was twisting the dagger in his shoulder. "Just do not say anything else!" He got out harshly. But she did not stop, she could not stop.

"I will give you the children you crave, my Liege! Just please do not hurt any of them" Said Katniss between sobs, the King merely looked down at her with disdain. He stopped torturing Peeta, and addressed the heap of a girl a few yards away from him. The night was dark and inky above them, the illumination was at best poor, and in the cover of this darkness, Johanna stroke a well-placed ax on the chest of the man with the crossbow, the King, remained oblivious.

"You?" He pointed a boney finger at Katniss, sobbing uncontrollably on the ground. "I will never take a whore for a wife! Let alone lie down with one that has known my only nephew's bed!"

A cackling laugh chilled the blood in those still congregated in the yard. "That is so RICH, my Lord! You have been taking your sick pleasure out of me for years, lying with me on daily bases! And I AM your niece by marriage... _Uncle_!" Screamed crazed, whoever had been tasked with guarding her, laid dead on the ground next to her, the dagger that had been buried to the hilt in Peeta's shoulder fit snugly on the henchman's throat. Cashmere's dress was all torn to pieces, blood trickling down her face and legs, she advanced with an accusing finger in the king's direction just as he had done with Katniss, "And when I finally refused to give you one last fuck, you took it by force anyway!" Her shriek piercing the night, Katniss felt bile rise up and gagged her, this man knew no boundaries.

"SILENCE! You dare accused me of such villainy? Have you any proof? And even if you did, who will believe the most expensive Prostitute of Panem?" bellowed the King.

"I do..." Peeta said through gritted teeth, in an effort to stay conscious, now that Brutus had returned to the silent fight and sneaked behind him and had him in a chokehold. ”I believe her... And you have hurt my wife, and insulted my concubine for the very. Last. Time!" In a surprising maneuver, he broke out of Brutus grip, then Mitchell and Boggs jumped right on and dealt with the brute. And Peeta simply launched himself forward to pummel the King to a pulp with his bare fists, the King produced out of nowhere a small blade he thrust deep into Peeta's thigh, and as he staggered backwards, everyone saw with horror the King pull out a pistol, the same weapon he had banned all those years ago, and point it at his only nephew's chest.

"Tell my parents and your traitor mother, I will forever live!" He pulled the trigger, and the sound of the projectile hitting flesh was something nobody would forget about for many a year. In a blur of blond waves, the twitching body of Cashmere fell to the ground, small and broken at the feet of her husband that was choked up and frozen in place.

"Cashmere!" The name left Katniss' lungs like a strangled shrike, and she no longer had control over her gag reflex.

"No!" came the ragged whisper Peeta emitted. "No... Why? Why would you do that?" Kneeling, gathering Cashmere in his arms, while she coughed up some dark crimson liquid, and smiled at him,

"It was finally my chance to show you I could be a good wife... The kind _she_ would have wanted me to be!" She said bringing a hand up to cup his face.

"Oh Cashmere, you did not have to prove anything to anybody."

"Princess! You-you are going to be fine darling, I-I-I will take to Mrs. Everdeen and she will fixed you right up, baby! You will see" said a crying Haymitch all but yanking her heavy body from her husband's arms.

Katniss who had been bent over on the floor emptying her stomach of all she had ingested in a week, was finally able to pick up her bow that had been left discarded next to her when she saw Peeta's life was in danger, she had been too late to shoot then, but now, she was all fury, running on the adrenaline of her rage, thirsty for vengeance she loaded her weapon and slowly stood up, no one was watching her actions and the cover of darkness was working for her advantage, she was a hunter stalking her pray: Enobaria, who still held her sister in a tight grip while the blond fought like a wild cat waking from anesthesia, disoriented and frightened, she saw her opportunity when Thom was crawling his way to positing himself behind Enobaria. ' _One. Good. Straight. Shot. It is all I need!'_

 _ **"Remember who the real enemy is"**_ the words swam unbidden in her mind, coiling and expanding lazily until her head was only filled with them, she knew who the enemy was, and it was not Enobaria, she swiveled to aim the tip of her arrow, and let it fly into the night, hitting the bull’s-eye, sure and true.

 

**> >\---------------> ~*~ <\---------------<<**

 

As Katniss was being forcefully dragged away lifted above heads, in the strong arms of what felt like a whole platoon, as she kicked, punched, screamed and wailed, her grey frantic eyes pleading pitifully for one last look from the blue eyes that now were shut tight, unconsciously and unknowing... The one promise he had made to her, to bring her comfort, broken for good. ' _ **Always**_ ' had expired. She was now alone, to face her crimes, with just the memory of sweet, twinkling blue eyes that had abandoned her.

 

 

> _**"You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope." – Suzanne Collins** _
> 
> _**~*~** _
> 
>  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, internal thoughts, flashbacks and letters in italics, while direct quotes from The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay in bold/italics. 
> 
> Regicide: is both the action of killing a King and the person who does it. I think the title is self explanatory after that.
> 
> Injunction: a judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another.
> 
> So, I am feeling catastrophically bad about Cashmere, so please don't hit me while I'm down! I know I was a very harsh with her, but it needed to be this way and you will know why in the next chapter... Which is already written and I will be sending to the beta ASAP... Sometime tomorrow... 
> 
> I'm sorry this chapter was sooooo long, it was this or cutting a bunch of story and I wasn't about to cut anything I had planned out for so long, I did cut stuff that I figured were more filler than anything else. 
> 
> Did you guys see videos from the Mockingjay: Part 2 panel at Comic Con? Or their appearance at Conan? I'm going to miss Jen, Josh and the rest of the gang doing those junkets, they are so funny. 
> 
> I was thinking, writing the last chapters of this story has been draining... And my imagination is a tad shut, so I was thinking about exercising my brain a little... Send me a Prompt for a Drabble or One shot... I'll pick the two best ones and go to work on them! 
> 
> Next three chapters will bring a time jump, two full chapters and an epilogue. I hope to update again sometime after July 25th, my goal is to post the Epilogue the first or second week of August, keep your fingers crossed!


	26. Moves and Countermoves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The Hunger Games series does not belong to me.
> 
> Thank You abk1973 for taking the time to beta this chapter!
> 
> A big, huge shout out to loving-mellark who so graciously gifted me that ridiculously pretty banner! Thank you dear! I hope everyone loves it as much as I did!
> 
> Time jumping chapter ahead, in the longish range. Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: blink-and-you-miss it mention of torture devises and rape

 

 

_In a sea of tall grasses peppered with the tiny yellow heads of thousands upon thousands of dandelions as far as you can see, two children twirl and dance at the rhythm of the soft breeze bending the greenish-gold blades. The girl, who's raven-dark hair floats behind her every time she skips and turns cannot be older than six, and the little boy with unruly blond curls that fall on his face stubbornly, struggles to keep up with the girl on chubby toddler legs. They have no idea that this luscious meadow they play in used to be a wasteland... They do not care what it used to be, it is full of life and beauty now, what does it matter that it used to barren and uninviting? But one day, when they grow older, their parents will together tell them about the importance of this change, for it does matter that in a place where nothing grew, there is now plenty of life; it was achieved through hard work and the hope of a better tomorrow... The significance that things can always get better will be the lesson this parents will strive to grind into their children’s innocent minds, lets God forbid they would ever forget._

_Suddenly the children stop their blissful games, the singing of that forgotten lullaby all but dies. They see someone approaching. The both of them giggle. They hold hands and take off running towards the figure looming in the distance; a man with smiling, bright blue eyes that matches those of the little girl exactly, a head full of golden hair that looks disheveled and way longer than it should be, just like the little boy’s golden curls bouncing with each step he takes, there is no doubt, the children belong to this man. He opens his arms wide and the children jump into them laughing merrily and kissing the man's cheeks at the same time, their father lifts himself up with children and all still encircled in his strong thick arms, he practically hops towards a woman sleeping under a willow tree, her dark tresses piled under her head like a pillow, he puts the children down, and they all crouch around the sleeping woman who is very obviously pregnant, they all look at each other and flash matching grins to one another, then the girl leans in and pokes the woman's stomach with her stubby tiny finger, she whispers in a sing song, childlike voice: “Time has come to wake, sleepy-poke, come play with me!”_

The world with the meadow and the lazy breeze dissolved instantly and in its place, there was only pain.

Katniss shoot up like a cork out of a bottle of champagne, the pain sharp and unbearable, the skin around her swollen belly tight and tense, she has been at this for at least two hours, it was a miracle she managed to fall asleep at all, she just prays that the King would arrive before his child does, otherwise he will miss it, just like he has missed the past nineteen weeks, five days, and six hours... But, who is keeping count? Counting the seconds of his absence only makes the hollow of her heart ache and her existence so much unbearable. But there is no time to dwell in this sad thoughts, another sharp pain erases all memory of life outside the pain and her bed sheets have to be changed now, that her water has broken as the voice she vaguely recognizes as her mother calls out to who knows who, then she prays again that the King arrives soon, or he will miss the birth of his only heir and she absently laments the crown ever came between them, for he was not always a king, and she has missed the man he used to be, who he still is under his ruler persona, He is just too busy guiding the kingdom out of turmoil, for which she is partially responsible. She ponders, _Would they ever go back to the way it was?_ It is a notion she since has resigned herself to dream and hope for, but now... The pain of his absence is sorely felt.

 

 

**Nineteen weeks, four days, eighteen hours, in the past..**

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Katniss had been on the floor emptying her stomach of whatever sustenance was left in her, but now was finally able to pick up the bow she dropped when the fear for Peeta's life was all she could focus on, she was currently running on adrenaline. Thirsty for revenge she loaded her weapon and slowly stood up, no one was watching her shrouded in darkness and she was a hunter stalking her pray: Enobaria, who held Prim by force while the little blond fury, kicked and bite with all her might to free herself from the other woman's grip. Thom also aided by the all-encompassing shadows of the night had crept his way behind Enobaria. ' _One. Good. Straight. Shot. And it will all be over!'_  She thought as she took aim. But at the last minute, out of the corner of her eye, she perceived movement. A figure rushed into the depths of the palace, the blur of long blond curls trailing after, registered in her peripheral vision; this summoned the words of the Earl of Seam, piercing through the anger and hatred she had grossly misdirected, this caused her to swiveled and aim the tip of her arrow at another target, one exceptionally more deserving of her vengeance and her arrow took flight with the twang of her bowstring finding a home on the chest of King Coriolanus with a sickening thud.

It took a frozen second for the action to register. The old man with fake mirth in his pale and icy blue eyes, now looked unblinking at the shaft covered in feathers protruding from the place where his shrunken heart was struggling to pump life to the rest of his body, his mouth opened in a grotesque fashion, but his white beard lessened the effect obscuring his features; he finally looked up to find the culprit, still poised in her practiced archer stance, her grey eyes reflected her victims disbelief and terror, she had finally realized what she had done but she was too numb, too frozen, too shocked to even breathe. The man lifted an accusing finger in her direction, he tried to say something that was supposed to be a mocking comment of "Miss Everdeen, I would not have thought you had it in you" but all that came out was a gurgled laugh, he was mocking her even though he was as good as a worm eaten corpse, his laugh only ceased when his once formidable body finally hit the cobblestones under his feet and his eyes stood open and lifeless, staring at her forevermore.

Katniss heard the yells, the commands, the fists pounding on flesh, she even felt the strength of a yank from somewhere behind her; there was a mass of something warm covering her, but, none of this made sense. Nothing around her carried meaning or purpose, so she fell and recognized pain on her knees and the heels of her hands, her body reacted on subconscious reflex, arms and legs came together to protect her midsection without conscious thought of doing so. And beyond everything, as the King laid dead in his pool of blood with glassed over eyes she could feel still watching her from across the courtyard, the battle raged on.

 

====================

 

 _Eleven year old Cashmere, was bitterly crying, sitting on the swing her uncle, Constable Undersee, had hanged from a sturdy tree overlooking the pond on his family property. The tip of her new shoe's toe dragging on the grass beneath; the swing was meant for her cousin Margaret, but she seldom came to this place, her excuse was that the narrow pond shore was infested with mosquitoes that made her legs itch terribly. Cashmere had never felt a mosquito pinch in here before, so Madge was clearly exaggerating. At any rate, it truly did not matter as long as Cashmere had the place to herself when she needed to escape somewhere safe to cry on her own until she was empty of all tears and bad feelings. Today was such a day, except, today_ **He** _was here too, which made everything worse._

_He usually never came to this events, but decide to accompany his family for some unknown reason. It was clear to everyone, he just wanted to put a damper on the festivities by the covertly looks he was getting from the rest of the family; Cashmere had learned at a very young age, she was not the only one in the family who disliked the man, why most of them barely tolerated him, she wondered not for the first time, what did her mother did to wronged her own parents to be deserving of such awful match? The truth still remained, She hated Cray DeLoach with burning passion, but she could not voiced this feelings to anyone; she could not tell anyone about how he made her mother cry and scream in fear, or the bad things he did to her brother and herself when he had a rough night of drunken gambles, he had made sure she kept her mouth shut and her tongue tied, he had told her time and again that no one would ever believe her if she was stupid enough to break the silence; so she told no one of the awful things going on at home. When they get invited to family activities they get to leave the awfulness behind and pretend they were a happy bunch, today however, with her father here, there will be no chance to forget he exists._

_Today was particularly bad, because besides her father's resented presence, the young Duke of Merch was also in attendance. He was such an insufferable jerk! she did not understand what her cousin saw in him, he was not even that good looking, not the way Madge was always giggling about with her friend Annie Cresta. Of course he had the face of a cherub, with eyes bluer than the summer sky and hair the color of a field of golden wheat, but those descriptors anyone could apply to her brother, and she had never heard anyone babbling about Gloss the same way... Granted, unlike the always jovial and seemingly happy Duke, Gloss never smiled, and his skin always looked a tad yellowish and stretched leathery on his frame, his blue eyes were dimmed and tired, as if he were sick... But how could he smile and looked healthy if he was not permitted to be so?_

_"Princess? What are you doing here all alone, sweetie?" She wiped her runny nose quickly and smiled to herself, if anyone could fix a bad day, it was her uncle Haymitch! Her most favorite person in the whole wide world! "Hey! What are these tears about, marring my pretty Princess' little face?" Uncle Haymitch pulled a soft handkerchief from his vest pocket and cleaned her face dry, then smiled warmly at her, "There! Much better! Now, what is this all about?"_

_She opened her mouth to tell him some made up story; she had become very adept at making them up on the fly, but that stupid Duke ran past them interrupting her overworked brain, '_ could he be **any** more annoying?' _She internally groaned._

_"Boy! Where is the fire?" yelled Haymitch at the teenaged Duke._

_"Taking Madge for a horse ride! Be back soon!" He said as he rushed to go fetch his new horse, Lucius... it was all white and just a baby! Cashmere had seen bigger horses than Lucius, but the stupid Duke was so unbearably proud of the animal, all he did was yap about it._

_"Fine! But, be safe and protect Margaret, do not let that horse of yours throw either of you over!" Uncle Haymitch warned him. The Duke laughed and waved enthusiastically. Cashmere soured right up._

_"Oh? Now what?" said Haymitch noticing the change in her demeanor. The droopy shoulders and tear streaks now replaced with crossed arms, lips pursed and bright green eyes narrowed to slits. He kissed one of her chubby cheeks, and poked her ribs eliciting a giggle._

_"Are you going to tell me what is bothering you, kiddo?" He asked once her laughter had died down, she took a nervous look around, making sure her parents were not watching, but of course her father was watching, he was always watching. She stole herself and told her uncle a partial truth._

_"I do not like that pompous dick!" She said haughtily. Uncle Haymitch first chocked in his own spit, his eyes going big as saucers,_

_"What?" He asked incredulously, she let her arms fall to her lap and nervously tried to backpedal._

_"I mean... He is always strutting about in that stupid horse! Like he is the best thing that happened to Panem! With his stupid crooked smile, and his stupid twinkling eyes that he winks at Madge every time she meets his gaze... Sometimes I feel like I want to shove him of his horse myself!" to this Haymitch bursted out laughing. She was confused._

_"Oh God! Princess! You really do not like Peeta? Sorry for laughing, darling but I thought you said something different, when all you meant to say was you dislike the Duke!" He said as if it was an obvious joke. When she did not stopped staring at him in confusion he cleared his throat and sobered up, kissing the crown of her head affectionally._

_"Um... I thought you had said a naughty word instead of Duke, I am sorry, Sweetheart, I am done laughing now."_

_"Is_ Dick _a naughty word? Because that was what I called him... Father is always saying to mother that he is the best dick she would ever have... I thought it just was another word for..." She stopped in her tracks before spilling another naughty word like 'asshole', she instead settled for "boy or man." Haymitch swallowed thickly, and shook his head, regretting having called attention to it._

_"Uh... Well, Princess, I think is better you do not call people that word for now on, deal?"_

_"Deal!" She said unconvinced, he did not explain the meaning of the word._

_"Look... You know how I always try to read you poetry or books about grand stories?" She nodded eagerly, "Well, there is this one quote; I would like you to hear and meditate on, alright?" He waited until she nodded "'_ Love all, trust few, do wrong to none’ _it is from William Shakespeare" they stared into each other's eyes for a moment, "Do you know what does it mean?" He asked gently._

_Cashmere thought about it for a short while, and then said in her older beyond her age voice, "It is very easy, really. Love needs to be given unconditionally, trust should be only given to deserving people, but benevolence should be given freely, refusing to commit mean spirited actions against others"_

_"That is right Princess, if you are careful to follow this advice, you will have a happier life... This exact quote I taught the Duke many years ago, in hopes that he lives his life, according to the wise words you just regaled me with... Now, I have imparted the same wisdom to you, whether you use it or not is your prerogative sweetie, but I truly hope you can see the benefits of loving, trusting and doing good onto others!"_

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Breath Princess, breath..." Haymitch begged Cashmere as he ran up the coiling staircase to the upper floor chamber where Mrs. Everdeen sat in pins and needles waiting.

"Quattro... need... I need Quattro" she wheezed out laboriously.

"Quattro? I do not think it is such a good idea to take you to Quattro at the moment darling..."

"No... _Baron_ Quattro..." She said faintly, coughing painfully.

"Finn? You want Finn?" He tried again, she nodded with a grimace. He kicked the door open, and into the lighted room he went, Mrs. Everdeen jumped into action right away, if she was horror struck or worried, she did not show it, she did not even asked about her daughters, she was trying to staunch the blood oozing from cuts along her patient's face and arms and the gunshot wound along her ribcage, cleaning the dirt and dry blood caked off her skin to discover the many hematoma littering her body, when she noticed the blood from her patient's nether regions she snapped her eyes to Haymitch, who shook his head sadly as if in pain,

"He... He..." But she pursed her lips and shook her head, rage filled her features, she was aware of what had been done to the woman on the cot.

"Uncle find me... Quattro... Please..." Cried Cashmere pitifully which made Haymitch jump into action.

"Yes! Of course... Right away darling... Just, just stay here, do not leave?" Haymitch pleaded, not because he thought that she was somehow capable of getting up and leave physically, but, because he wanted her to live, she understood his meaning, they had always enjoyed some kind of shorthand talk between them, it was refreshing to her to see they still had it after all the time of disuse. After she had laughed and nodded at his request he darted out of the makeshift infirmary.

The lower levels of the palace were pandemonium, people shouting and running in all directions, how on earth was he to find Finnick in this flea market? But locating the young man was actually easier than he thought; the problem was that at the moment he was screaming at the top of his lungs fighting a swarm of peacekeepers on a corner of the courtyard trying to elbow his way into a big huddle of twisting angry bodies, shouting that he needed to see his client at once. A very badly wounded Boggs pulled Haymitch to the ground as he passed by close enough to reach, he tried to whisper something into his ear, he almost pulled away from the man but he realized he was laying on a massive pool of blood, alone and shivering, he lowered his face so his ear was hovering above Boggs’ lips,

"Do not let them take her to the stocks... Tell everyone she's pregnant... they cannot execute a pregnant woman, it's the law... Tell the Baron, her defense...  She fought crimes against humanity, rapist... He raped the princess of Panem, one Mockingjay avenged another Mockingjay... do not let them take her to the stocks, save her, save the Mockingjay, she just saved Panem from a depraved rapist!" Haymitch only had a second to look around himself, Thom and a trembling Prim fell next to Boggs' twitching body, she started to move her nimble fingers around the knights multiple wounds.

"Sunshine!" Haymitch screamed above the roar of the madness around them, “You are free...” she only gave him a blank look followed by a curt nod, And she went back to work, "Your mother is up in the infirmary... Mr. Homes, you know the way, take her there now!" Thom was in the process of scooping her up and obeying Haymitch's instructions, but she raged at the both of them.

"I will not leave a person that clearly needs my help to die here!" She yelled.

"Then take him with you, but go to your mother, NOW!" Haymitch bellowed at her in a desperate craze.

He now remembered the two other girls, and the fear he felt for the one he had no idea where to find was overwhelming, he had run with Cashmere so fast, he did not see the King hit the ground, but he now remembered the sound of the flying arrow piecing the air, and that stubborn girl standing in the middle of the place with fire in her eyes hands still clutching her bow and string. ' _The fucking girl had done it, and now they wanted her blood as payment for her treason of regicide.'_ He saw Gale, fighting off peacekeepers like a wild animal, he headed that way because something told him there, he would find the other girl.

Johanna was covering Katniss' tiny frame with her own that was not much bigger. This was where Finnick had been screaming his lungs out, he was acting as her legal defense. Haymitch had come here on a mission: to drag Finnick to his Princess, but his mission, as much as it pained him, had now evolved. He finagle his way between the peacekeeper force, towards Sweetheart, he had not the faintest idea of where in hell the Boy was, _to protect Sweetheart was the Boy's job,_ he swallowed his increasing fear so he could get to Katniss, he knew that unless Peeta was dead or otherwise incapacitated in peril of death, he would be there fighting tooth and nail like a beast. He elbowed and pushed his way deep into the crowd, and finally yelled pointing a pocket knife at any who dared cross him right then.

"Back the hell off!" strangely people were startled enough to actually listen and moved a pace or two backwards, Finnick finally made it to Katniss as well. "Whatever this girl has done, you cannot take her to the stocks, nor can you hang her from the noose... She is with child! Royal blood by the way... Probably the next monarch of this land... So back the fuck up!" Spittle flew from his mouth and sprinkled the ones closest to him, they had decided to keep the pregnancy hidden for all kinds of reasons, but Boggs was right, it was time to make it public knowledge. "Now... Let the doctors of the law come together and decide her fate, until then, you cannot have her! Her legal counsel and Dame Mason will keep her under custody until it is decided what is to be done with her. For now... Princess Cashmere, who was **raped**...” his voice broke at the word momentarily, but kept on going. “And mortally wounded, by Coriolanus Snow himself, lies in her death bed, she has requested a word with her last living relatives, the Everdeen women, let her have some comfort before she expires" At this boat load of information, the crowd started to murmur to each other, gossiping about what they had jyst heard, they relented finally a parted a path down the middle. Johanna and Gale hastily lifted Katniss from the ground and Finnick scooped her limp body in his arms, pulling the excess fabric of her gown tighter around her growing belly, so everyone could see Haymitch had been saying the truth. Haymitch barked at them to run inside to Mrs. Everdeen, same way he did with Thom and Prim, he wanted all of his kids safe.

The vultures circling around them, as if they were carrion, recede allowing them passage between murmurs and gasps. Johanna took her ax and sword out of their respective holsters and wielded them in an offensive manner as she trailed behind Finnick into the Palace. No one followed.

"Miss Everdeen and Her Highness had been trying to protect each other as well as young Miss Primrose Everdeen, who had been kidnap by orders of the King. I, as commanding officer assume all responsibility to bring Miss Everdeen forth for judgment when the time comes... Now, I order you all to cease fighting, look after the wounded and bring the ones in need of medical care inside the palace... Go!" Captain Hawthorne was standing to his full height at least five inches above the tallest peacekeeper in the mob, his voice booming with authority, everyone dispersed to do his bidding.

Haymitch proceeded to desperately look for _his_ Boy; Gale, although not one of _his kids_ , had nevertheless earned a place as one of them, so Haymitch looked him up and down taking stock of his appearance as they ran side by side, Haymitch had done the same with the others, taking inventory of their well-being , he had noted that Finnick had bruises all over his face and a gash on a forearm, he noticed that Johanna had a bloody lip and purple eye- _nothing permanent-_ he thought at the time, but Gale, he was actually hurt. Shoulder level, it seemed like a very deep cut.

"Last I saw the Duke he was fighting Brutus. Brutus killed Mitchell and injured Boggs when he tried to slip off, he caught them both by surprise when Catnip shot the King. He was gunning for her, too bad for him the Duke saw it. He got to Brutus first, but I had to rush to save Catnip from the horde that fell on her, I have no idea what happened to the Duke and Brutus" his voice was a mixture of pain, effort and fear. "I am sorry I lost track of him." He said sincerely, then added in a strangle tone, "Katniss will be devastated if I had let Brutus killed him!"

Haymitch once more flashed Gale a surveying glance, the young man was clutching his wounded arm, wincing as he went, it was unclear if it was a reaction from the physical pain he was experiencing or the weight of his guilt and anxiety over something he had no control over. "Do not worry about that now, and do me a favor and do not blame yourself for any of this, Peeta would have wanted you to go keep her safe, even at his own expense" the older man said tiredly, but kindly, then he instructed softer than he had done to the others. "Go to Mrs. Everdeen and get that arm looked after, I will search for Peeta myself..." 

"No! My duty is to the crown, and I threw everything out the window for her safety... She is as safe as I can make her without the Duke... My duty is to reinstate the fallen crown now... the only way left to keep her safe, is to find Peter Mellark alive!"

"This is a direct order kid! Go to the Everdeens now! I am taking command of this circus!" Snapped the Earl, Gale laughed mirthlessly,

"I outrank you old man, so No! I will not go until I have the blasted Heir Apparent... um,  _Regent,_ now, under my custody... **That** is a fucking order!"

Haymitch realized it was futile to try and reasoned with the Captain, so instead he allowed him to take inventory of the damage around them,

"There!" Shouted Gale without a backwards glance diving to the side, Peeta's face drained off color, huffing and puffing trying to throw off of him Brutus's dead weight that had him pinned down, badly hurt, loosing too much blood, too much energy, fading quickly.

"Kat... Katniss..." He whispered staring pleadingly at Haymitch, once Gale had all but dislocated his injured arm pushing the Goliath size man from over the former Duke. "Where... Where is she? Tell me she is safe"

"She is shaken... maybe in shock, but she is physically unhurt. I sent her with Jo and Finn up to see her Mother... Sunshine is fine too, working like a little bee... Those Everdeen girls are as stubborn as fuck... all of them!"

"And... Cash-Cashmere?" Haymitch did not say anything, covering the lack of information by exerting himself trying to heave him up in his arms. "Haymitch... Cashmere?" Peeta repeated softly, tears filling his eyes. The older man desisted his attempt at picking up the thick frame of his Godson, _His_ Boy, too damned bulky and heavy for just one man to carry him.

"Mrs. Everdeen is doing all she can... Cashmere asked for Finn, I am not rightly sure what she wanted with him, but... I trust... She..." The older man choked for a moment, Gale touched his shoulder gently, he had called in some of the Peacekeepers around and they were putting a stretcher of sorts together with the remains of the negotiations table that had been used by the King, not an hour earlier. The King's body had been retrieved by the few knights left patrolling the grounds, and since the highest ranking royal was now Peeta, the military forces were scrambling to take him to the infirmary as efficiently and fast as they could. It should not have surprised Haymitch that most of these men were already loyal to Peeta before he was the potential King, but it did.

Mrs. Everdeen had decided the smallish room she had been working in was insufficient, so she and few helpers brought their growing number of wounded to the Ballroom and set up shop there, on the polished marble floors of the lavish space. She also decided to call on Dr. Aurelius, the one who had served as her mentor and counselor while trying to run the Healing Center in Merch, he was head physician at Capitol Hospital, she hoped he would bring more medically train personnel, because as of how Prim, herself and the one Palace doctor with his assistant were spreading thin amongst the hurt people under their care. Prim had refused to take a seat to be tended for more than the time it took to confirm she was physically alright, she kept going around on a circuit, checking on Katniss every so often, she had planted herself firmly by the head of Cashmere's cot since she arrived, scarcely ten minutes after Thom and Prim herself had dragged Boggs in with them. Boggs, luckily seemed to be on the mend, and as highest ranked officer, ordered an armed detail to guard Katniss and Cashmere.

Katniss had not left Cashmere's side, only asking about Peeta's whereabouts every so often when a new person came around.

Finnick had been sitting on the cot, next to Cashmere, face buried in a stack of paper, writing and scratching out things, then rewriting them once more, Cashmere dictating with urgency things that sounded to clumped together, Katniss silently crying while the dying Duchess held the Concubine's hand in a death grip.

"Can someone go fetch Lady Clove? She is staying at Victor's Village... Please, tell her and Lady Trinket they area both needed here" Katniss said in a broken whisper to Darius who was one of her guards, he nodded curtly, and motioned someone else to come forth, this other person took off immediately, hopefully to return with the ladies in tow.

Cashmere stopped her whispering to Finnick, the latter rose the paper to his eye level, read it back to her, she smiled brightly and her lips could have been read from any corner of the room, when she said "Thank You!" Finnick placed the stack of papers straight up in front of her, presumably so she could read it herself, but then, he handed her the pen he had been using, and awkwardly slanted the document so she could sign it, this made Katniss sob harder, suddenly, she shot up like a spring,

"Please Mr. Darius, allow me to run to my private chambers... You and whoever else can come escort me if you so prefer... There is something in my rooms I need to retrieve this instant" She pleaded with Darius, he pursed his lips debating whether to oblige or stay put, but Boggs, a few rows away from them just barked the order,

"Go! I will say I gave you permission if it comes to it!" Darius nodded and nudged her shoulder gently.

"Come then, Miss Everdeen, we better be quick."

The trip to their apartments only took a few minutes, once there she marched straight to her bedchamber, with Darius tailing her less than a foot behind; she knew exactly what she wanted from this room, she rushed to a side table next to the bed and yanked the single drawer open, pulling out a small leather-bound book, which she clutched to her chest tightly. As an afterthought, she reached for something in another chest of drawers on their way back out of the chamber, a small brown paper bag, a single floppy strip of soft plush material not wider than a pinkie finger that curiously resembled a bunny ear sticking out of the paper bag, she easily slipped it into the pocket of her skirt.

"I am all done here, we can return to her Highness' side now... Thank you, Mr. Darius, you have been very kind." With this the red headed peacekeeper escorted her back to the ballroom after giving her a tight sad smile. Once she entered the spacious new infirmary, she spied Gale sitting to one corner, there was a swarm of people huddled around that spot, she then saw Haymitch bob up and down and around the mob. Her mother was there too, but she could not see anything else. Finnick was once more frantically writing something, Cashmere signed this too and before Katniss had reached them, Finnick squeezed her hand whispering something into her ear, there was a tear trailing down her cheek, but the look she had on her face was peaceful. Katniss slowly lowered herself to sit into a chair someone had produced for her.

"I must go now, Highness... I need to go tend to the other business I just mentioned to you... If you need anything else, if there is anything else you can think to add to this..." He motioned to the papers in his hand, "Just call for me" her nod was all he needed, he patted Katniss affectionately on the shoulder and left them alone... With their guards.

Finnick reached a very tired looking Haymitch at the other side of the room. Wordlessly he passed the older man the documents in his hand, and muttered flatly, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Her last will and testament. Mrs. Everdeen did all she could, but... Her Highness is slowly going. I guess, at least she had time to leave her affairs in order... How is Peeta? I doubt miss Everdeen realizes he was finally found and brought in, nor that he is hurt. I felt bad not telling her, but, if he is up to it, I need to go speak with him now, we have no time to lose if we want to keep Katniss from being tried as a traitor, and he needs to give her some kind of pardon or immunity, I do not know what can he do, but he has no time to waste. Her being with child will only allow her so many leniencies"

"You better make haste then, my Lord, the... new King... Is not looking so hot either..." Haymitch finally broke; Finnick paled and nervously pulled Haymitch with him to go find Peeta.

Doctor Aurelius had finally arrived, and he had taken upon caring for Peeta himself, since he had the most experience and the best equipment, to Mrs. Everdeen's relief he had indeed brought with him a few more nurses and healers and medicine, and soon enough, the Everdeen women had been relieved from their duties, they were all huddled around Cashmere in her deathbed. Cashmere had taken to stroking Prim's porcelain face, whispering apologies and stressing how sorry she was for all the pain she had caused them all.

As it was no secret at all, Cashmere had amassed quite a fortune in her time as the King's mistress, so much so, no one, not even herself, were sure how much Coin she had in her arks, she had left all of it to be shared equally between the Everdeen women, Clove, the unborn Mellark child and a few charitable causes; all her jewels were to be put on a safe for the baby regardless of gender, this included every single Mockingjay heirloom she possessed which in the case of having more siblings those would have to in turn be shared equally. Only two items were left out of this lot, a pin and a locket, bearing the emblem of the bird, those were left for Prim and Mrs. Everdeen respectively, seeing as Katniss had her own Mockingjay pin, she was left a letter to be open at the birth of the child, with Finnick and two other clerics present. Katniss had the distinct feeling this was the last thing they had worked on while she was away retrieving the book, that still lay on her lap. Neither would say what it was about, only that Katniss had nothing to be worried about legally when time came for her to wed. A house was left to Clove, And at Finnick's vehement request, Katniss was left a house as well, ' _to dispose of it as she saw fit'_ was his explanation, but some understanding passed between him and the former Duchess that none else was privy to. The rest of the properties were left as Mellark patrimony, to be inherited by her husband. She did not think it right to leave him coin from her liaison with the King, this being the reason she left her monetary riches to the Everdeens, she also donated part of it to the Healing Center, and an Orphan House would be built in honor of her brother, although Gloss was not fond of children himself, she thought he suffered too much as one, and wanted to keep others from going through the same.

Haymitch came to sit with them, after he had read Cashmere's testament and after he made sure Peeta was stable and alive, Finnick and Gale were sitting with him now, trying to figure out a way to save Katniss from sure death, but as Boggs had said, she would get a reprieved as long as she was with child. They needed to act fast, as more and more of the King's advisors and supporters had started to arrive. The first thing they needed to do, according to Gale in his military opinion, was to have all the armed forces, to swear loyalty to the default Regent, Peeta, that way any attempt to overthrow him or challenged his right to the throne would be taken as open treason, then they had to come up with a way to shield Katniss from everyone, and a decision had been made; one which broke Peeta's heart: Katniss was to be sentenced to house arrest until her child was born. She would be placed in virtually solitary confinement for the time being, until a trial was conducted and her fate finally decided.

As calloused as it was, all that was left, was to wait until Cashmere passed away, then her will and testament that had been partially read out loud to the beneficiaries would come into effect and Katniss would be sole owner of DeLoach Manor, her charges and sentence would be immediately declared in front of the present and she would be speedily dashed to the one house Cashmere detested above anything else: her childhood home. Finnick had insisted on it, because it was located in the country plains of District One, only one hour away on horseback at open gallop from the Capitol; Cray DeLoach had made it into a little fortress years and years prior, and now would serve as Katniss' prison as much as it served for Cashmere, her Mother and Gloss'.

While Katniss's fate, was being debated with the outmost care and calculation, she had been saying her final goodbyes to Cashmere, who's eyes were methodically dimming as time passed by, her breathing slowing and her smiles softening. The bullet from the King had hit the ribs, breaking the bones into hundreds of shards, Mrs. Everdeen had done as much as she could to help her, but she could not stop all the internal damage done to her vital organs, she was slowly bleeding internally and there was no stopping it, all she could do to help was to give her a small dose of morphling to numb the pain but still left her conscious. Clove, Effie, Annie and surprisingly escorted by a beat up looking Dame Mason, arrived in a flurry of confusion; once they had settled, the women sang together one last time,

The ‘valley song’ as Peeta liked to call it.

Katniss allowed Cashmere to feel the baby kick to her heart's content, and then she told her softly.

"I have a gift for you... It really is not mine to give, but here..." With shaky hands, she opened the book she had been holding like her life depended on it being safe. "I doubt he would mind anymore." She fail to add ' _Since he is not here to mourn it'_ She pulled out a lose page, and handed it to Cashmere whose arm felt heavy as she reached for the proffered piece of discolored parchment.

"Oh!" She gasped in surprise as she found the picture of the girl with the flower earrings, who smiled benevolently back at her, as old as the sketch was, it was still full of life. "Madge..." Her finger traced the contours of the girl's face; the longing in her eyes was unmistakable. "She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, until I met Glimmer." She smiled softly; her thumb caressed the page lovingly. After a long pause, she said in a faint voice, "He is an amazing artist, he should do this more often... Please, make him set time aside to sketch and paint. Do not let him waste this talent" she looked up at Katniss, and her eyes were sincere. Katniss nodded her promise. "Um... Katniss? Can you go fetch him for me? I do not want to die without saying goodbye to him... He was the only person to stand up for me when that bastard Coriolanus..." She was getting agitated and Mrs. Everdeen shushed her up, she gave Katniss a look that told her to do as she had been asked, but, it was Prim the one to jump up to her feet, Katniss still had no idea of where or how was Peeta, and last time Prim had seen him, he was barely conscious with loss of blood and multiple wounds littering his battered body.

"I will go, I will be faster!" Prim said firmly, and extending her hand to Thom who only left her side to fetch things she directly had asked for, followed her through the maze of pallets in the room. Katniss tried to stand and follow her sister, but her guards impede her passage, so she sat back down anxiously.

To her relief, minutes later a gurney, was wheeled in and set right next to Cashmere's, the two blond people looked like twin death masks, Peeta had been stripped of his clothing, same as Cashmere, they both were heavily bandaged, and thin sheets covered up their nakedness. Katniss' breath hitched when she set eyes on Peeta's pale form, again, she tried to rush to him, but her guards stopped her from moving closed to him.

"Oh husband... You look like hell" Cashmere said weakly to Peeta, the bite behind the word 'husband' usually present, was replaced by amusement.

"Not all of us can look as perfectly beautiful as you, after being smacked from all sides, dear!" He countered equally faint.

They were both too weak to muster any laughter, but the people around them laughed nervously for them while Katniss repressed a sob; she had been restrained by Darius and Gale who had followed the gurney there. Gale's arm was in a sling, but the rest of his body was on high alert. Katniss was slumped heavily on Darius' stretched arm, the ache of seeing Peeta but being denied to rush to him was killing her painfully.

"I am so sorry Petey... For everything... specially for calling Lucius a stupid baby horse, tell him he is actually majestic and not stupid at all..." She coughed, and Peeta's eyes crinkled with painful mirth, Haymitch, Mrs. Everdeen and Effie corralled away the visitors to give the Mellarks some privacy.

"You insulted Lucius? When?" He gave her small, curious smile.

"I was eleven, maybe... I was completely unfair to him; he was a nice horse... You on the other hand, were a _dick_!" They finally laughed a little, and Haymitch that hovered around let out a pained chuckled, Cashmere’s eyes found his and she winked at him in a shared inside joke.

"Well, you got that one right! I was a little self-confident dick. I am sorry if I never made an effort to make you like me back then, I wonder if it would have made our lives easier if I had tried." He responded, she tried to shake her head but only caused herself a bout of painful coughs.

"It would not have mattered; my life was too dark to give a shit anyway." She wheezed with effort, "Look, I have given Odair a posthumous power of attorney; I have given you and Katniss, my third cousin, my blessing to take her as bride, in writing and signed by my own hand but this will not come into effect until after your mourning period is completed, I have also rescinded any claims to her child in writing as well, and I have provided with instructions transferring her contract for you as sole master, there are modifiers in the contract that will enable you to make Katniss legally yours as soon as I am dead..."

"No!" Peeta interrupted shaking from head to toe, "I will not do that to her..." She spoke over him with great effort, there was no time and he needed to see reason.

"It is the only way, Peter..."

"She is a person!" He counter aggravated.

"I am aware, Peter, I did not want to treated her like an object either, but if she is your property, if she is your slave, and I transferred her contract to you, they cannot disposed of her without your permission..." She said frantically.

"I will not go along with this, Cashmere, there has to be another way!"

"There is no time for another way! Our time for scheming is up! Moves and countermoves is how we will keep her safe, now, you have to sign the contract and she has to sign her consent... There is a clause that Quattro put in there; the contract will break when she legally weds you!"

"Cashmere..."

"Sign it! Save her! She will forgive you when all is over, you have to trust that!" She said faintly, her breathing leveling now that her part was done.

Finnick rushed to them with the papers and Peeta gave him an angry glare, he had not mentioned any of this arrangement to him before, probably because he knew he would refused, but the phrase 'moves and countermoves' was one he had used when discussing their scarce options regarding Katniss as the King's assassin, so he knew Finnick and Cashmere had a little 'scheming' session of their own before he came to him with his ideas. He took a look at the new contract and saw Katniss had already signed the document, he was not sure what had they tell her to make her agree with it, but seeing her signature there made it barely alright to sign it himself.

He turned to look at his wife, but she had gone still, her eyes were glazed over, he panicked. Mrs. Everdeen came right away and after compressing her chest a couple of times, Cashmere came back, Peeta was still anxious; the rest of the party came closer again,

"Katniss... Please look after my beloved Clove for me, she was my only friend in adulthood, she was always going to be my choice for the governess of my children, would you consider her for the job?" Katniss looked to Clove who was bent over in pain, one hand clasped over her mouth another wrapped around her middle, tears falling free all over her face, Cashmere's cold fingers lightly caressed her friends cheek and the other woman captured her fingers in her hand. Katniss nodded her assent. Then she turned to the one person she craved most of all, "Uncle Haymitch,” he had been hovering around the whole time, his eyes filled with tears that fell and stop constantly, there was guilt and sadness all over his face.

“I am so sorry I failed you Princess, I did not love you unconditionally... I was such a fool...”

“Shhhhs” she soothed, “Do you remember my favorite story growing up?” she said, a faraway look and a slight smile on her lips, he nodded.

“The little silly old bear and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood? How could I ever forget? You made us read it multiple times a day when you were about nine." he smiled at her, silent tears washed down his face.

  
He sat on the cot, lifting his little Princess in his arms and she gratefully snuggled right on his chest like he used to whilst she was a very young girl, the only place where was safe, and gazing at the sketch of Madge caressing the charcoal lines reverently, she recited her favorite lines of her favorite story, the ones Uncle Haymitch had read to her over and over giving her hope in dark days, " _If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you._ ”

Everyone was silent for and endless minute, Cashmere sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, "The Mockingjays will be here to collect me soon enough, I can hear their song already, calling me home..." Haymitch squeezed her to his chest and gasped a weak pleading "No... Please not yet" But she nuzzled deeper into his chest and whispered "Even if we are apart, I will always be with you... I love you uncle Haymitch, I missed you, I am happy to have you back" 

"I love you too, Princess... I was a fool, sorry it took me so long... But, I guess it is now time you rest from all the hardships of life. I will miss you, kiss Maysilee for me will you?" She nodded, he kissed her forehead.

He felt the moment the life shuddered out of her body, her eyes had been closed and she had the picture of her beloved Margaret closed to her heart, she bowed out of this world silently and surrounded by her family, something she doubted she will ever have. Haymitch wept for a long time clutching her inert body to his chest.

"Haymitch, you have to let her go... She is gone, and Katniss will be too if our plan fails!" whispered Finnick urgently looking around the room nervously, "Haymitch!" He warned, he nodded at Gale who stood up in the middle of the room, "Haymitch, now!” Finnick's voice was a bit harsher this time “Once Sir Gale is done with his speech, we only have a very small window... You can still save one of your girls! Let. Go!" He finally yanked her body from her uncle, quick as whip he started compressing her chest, tilted her head back and blew air into her open mouth, he did it again, and again and again... He knew it would not work, Cashmere had gone to never return, but he had to do it anyway, Gale was half way done with charging Katniss Everdeen with the murder of the King, he needed Cashmere to be declared deceased as soon as her sentenced was pronounced, Mrs. Everdeen, Prim and Effie had been closed in and restrained by trusted peacekeepers who kept them away from Katniss before Gale even started speaking, his voice was carrying around the ballroom with a boom, while Haymitch only sat sobbing at the feet of his dead niece.

"Katniss Everdeen, you are hereby set under arrest for the attempt on the life of the King of Panem! By the power vested in me by the Crown, I sentence you to house arrest, until a time can be reached to bring you before a court of law for further judgment!" his words had been calculated by Finnick, the wording of the charge was everything at this point.

Doctor Aurelius had made his way toward the royal couple as soon as a well-placed peacekeeper had conveniently pointed out Cashmere’s predicament, but Peeta was going into some kind of seizures or heart arrest, the Regent clearly needed medical help, it was only a coincidence that the Princess had been receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation ineffectively, after a few minutes professionals did take over, but she was indeed declared deceased soon after. While on the other side of the room, Katniss Everdeen was been carted away by a dozen peacekeepers as she kicked and screamed and bit every hand she could reached like a rabid dog, she screamed for Prim, for Haymitch, for Johanna who sat stone faced holding a wailing Mrs. Everdeen in place; above all, Katniss screamed Peeta's name over and over and over, but the stress of everything had been too much for him, he had lost consciousness and she saw with horror how a team of doctors was on top of him putting tubs connected to medicinal bags and someone else was doing the same thing Finnick had done to Cashmere a moment ago, but the blue eyes she so desperately needed to see were unresponsive and closed, she spat one last thing in his direction, right before she was injected a sedative,

"Peeta, you liar! You promised me you would be with me always!" She was now alone, to face her crimes, no Peeta to save her this time.

 

=======================

 

Peeta was crowned King of Panem, without opposition, in a very subdued ceremony scarcely two weeks after the assassination of his predecessor. His first executive order was to make reparations to certain people, Duchess Johanna Mason had been the first woman to had her nobility title reinstated, as only living heir to the Duchy of Sieben. Other few women that had been stripped their birth rights for having been born female followed soon after. Johanna decided to maintain her Dame title as her main one, although Duchess inherently outranked it, she felt like the title belonged to a different Johanna and not herself... She still was glad to had been returned her father's house, the one she grew up in, she wept for hours when she finally was allowed to set foot inside its doors.

Reforming the laws and protecting their women, were Peeta's main platforms for this initial wave of changes to the kingdom. Unlike with his ascension to the throne, He found multitude of opposition in many of his suggested reforms and a few plots to overthrow him were discovered in the subsequent months, all the attempts were poorly thought out and put together, and never reached any degree of maturation. As second executive action, he placed many trusted accountants to audit the kingdom’s treasury, and when an irregularity was found it was swiftly dealt with and corrected accordingly. Cashmere was discovered to had been the tent wealthiest person in Panem, at the very top of wealthiest people were the King, The Prince Cato and some phantom woman, Andromeda Snow, no evidence ever surfaced of who this person was supposed to be, until years later when a letter was found of how a few of the King's advisors and closest supporters had come up with a way to syphoning funds from the treasury themselves, by then the account had been repossessed by the new government years prior, the culprits left were brought to justice nonetheless.

Peeta took it upon himself to better the quality of life in the districts, he had weekly town meetings in his throne room where everyone, commoner, peasant or nobility was allowed to participate and be heard. Many great ideas came from this meetings, also the biggest disagreements between the nobility and the commonwealth was born in the middle of them. Lucky for the kingdom, King Peter 'The Wise' (as he was dubbed after his first year ruling) had a way with words that always prevailed and pacified all sides bringing them together to a compromise.

But the one social injustice, Peeta had not touched at all, was precisely the one that affected him directly and he despised the most: Concubinage Contracts. At the moment, any kind of concubine contract was frozen in place. His and Katniss' had dissolved the moment he was crowned King, as a widower, he was under a period of mourning that according to his uncle's unhealthy obsession with women and heirs, was signed into to law to last measly three months. Not that Peeta was complaining about it, he just thought it was a sick measurement his uncle had taken when his wife Queen Alma had been... _Let go_ off. The reason why he had not made bigger strides in order to ban forever the practice, was because Finnick needed time to study every law pertaining to it, he had already built a deposition on slavery, it was true that there were no actual slaves in Panem, but those that had signed contracts into servitude, signing away their rights to a master, in exchange of meeting basic needs for a family too poor to survive without it, just as Katniss had been forced to do when she was eighteen, that kind of voluntary, consenting slavery, was still very much in effect, and although Peeta had been working his ass off trying to fix the situation, the work was hard and slow, his accountants projected that by the year after next, they should have eradicated the kind of poverty that rendered a person hungry enough to sell themselves into slavery of any kind. Still, the subject laid heavy on his chest, especially during the long sleepless nights, in which he would sit on his open window staring at the moon, praying to the gods that the woman he loved would forgive him for delaying her salvation and release.

Meanwhile, Katniss was tucked safely away in DeLoche manor; she was horrified by some of the things hidden behind dark chambers, devices of torture only big enough for a child or petit woman to fit it, windowless rooms that smelled like human waste, rotten with time and mildew. She had decided that if she was ever allowed to leave this awful place, she was going to burn it to the ground. Cashmere had not done it, because it legally belonged to Gloss, but seeing as she was Gloss' only living relative the house passed down to her, and then she left it to Katniss ‘ _to dispose of it as she saw fit’._  She decided, _Smocking up in a pyre of rubble and ashes was a fitting end for this hellhole._

Katniss was in semi solitary confinement; she was not allowed communication with anyone outside the walls of her prison... ' _manor_ '. But, the manor was staffed with a cook, a maid and at least five guards at any given time. As a courtesy, she was allowed to pick her maid and cook, and also was permitted to bring her dog Diana, unfortunately the house was not built to appropriately accommodate a horse, so Fortuna had to stay back in Merch, where she had all the room a pony needed to grow happy and healthy. Of course it was no surprise her maid and cook were Cecilia and Old Sae respectively, Brystol and Leevy had been given the choice to remain under the employment of Lady Trinket in Winter Home or return to their own houses with incredibly good recommendation letters signed by the King himself. Brystol chose Winter Home while Leevy left the house, but not Merch, she took an apprentice position at Cartwright Cobblers and in a few months, announced her engagement to her boss. Things in Winter Home were back to normal, not much had changed except for the masters.

Thom and the Everdeen women returned to Merch the day of Katniss' nineteenth birth date, along with Lord Abernathy and Lady Trinket, they were given special permission to visit her in DeLoach Manor that day. They brought her assorted gifts and treats. They cried and sobbed for half the allotted visiting time, and her mother insisted on a quick obstetric checkup, although Katniss had a royally appointed physician that visited her every week without fail. They chatted and ate cake until they busted out into tears once again, then embraced and cried some more. No one mentioned Peeta to her, although most the presents were painfully obvious from him, every time she unwrapped one gift: a painting of the frozen pond back in Winter Home, a bag full of cheese buns, a brooch with little heads of wheat intertwined with specks of emeralds, everything that smelled like him, like home, her heart ached for the man she had fallen in love with.

Katniss opened a box bearing one of the gifts that undoubtedly came from Peeta, who else could have thought of giving her a wood carved comb with Katniss flowers painted all over it and written in neat cursive on the handle the words ' _Sagittaria Sagittifolia'_? she smiled and allowed herself a small content giggled followed by a dreamy sigh, the memory of their first encounter replayed in her mind's eye like it had been the previous day and not months ago; Peeta had been holding his dying hound, Woof, the first time they spoke,

' _"... I think your presence is calming to Woof, Miss Everdeen"_

_"Katniss!... If we are to be friends, and I am to call you by your christian name, you should do the same and call me by mine!"_

_"I'd like that, Katniss, thank you. Sagittaria... Commonly known as Arrowhead... Beautiful flower, edible roots as well! Whoever gave you such beautiful name was really clever indeed... Unlike, me. Woof agrees!"'_

She thought he had the sweetest smile and the most stunning blue eyes back then too. She had started to absentmindedly combed her sisters fair hair with the comb, soft smile dreamily painted on her features, Prim peering at her curiously through the hand-held looking glass that Effie had gifted her sister, whispered quietly.

"Where did your mind just go, Katniss?" Prim's gentle prodding brought her back to the present, a scowl setting firmly in her face as she returned to her precarious situation: she was alone, unmarried, expecting a child, and the father of the baby was not allowed to be with her because she was a murderer sitting in death row awaiting execution. Clearly the goddess was having a laugh at the rotten odds she gave her. She hated that she was still dubbed by her men in Merch, 'Fortuna personified', she much rather be Diana any day, at least she was not a sick bitch that took pleasure in messing with mortal's lives.

"How are you holding up, Little Duck?" She asked in a soft, but final tone, signifying they were not to talk about her smile. Too bad Prim was not one to follow rules.

"I have been better, I get terrible nightmares at night, I never feel safe when I am alone even if it is for a short amount of time, and it is awful... But I refuse to let that bastard win, so I ask to be left alone for little bits at a time, I force myself to keep the lights out when I go to bed, and I as hell will get my life back on track. You should too... Now tell me, what was so special about the little comb?"

"Prim..."

"Katniss!" She countered mimicking her sister’s tone. Her big sister simply breathed deeply, and held the comb out to her. "Sagit-taria Sagit... Sagit-tifolia?" she struggled to read and frowned.

"Scientific name for Katniss plant, also known as Arrowhead... Can you take a wild guess at who would have known this useless bit of trivia, and still make it feel like the grandest of gestures?"

Prim smiled at the little comb and her thumb caressed the tiny white flowers painted over the spine.

"He must have loved you very much..." Their mother spoke softly from the threshold. The sisters turned to see their mother entered the chamber.

"He still does... More than ever. He just... Cannot quite find a way to be with you just yet, but he will! I know it! It is Peeta after all... He will make it happen one way or another!" after shooting her mother a reproachful glare, Prim quickly let her sureness and earnest plead for her sister to see what was so clear to her; this only made Katniss' stomach churned unpleasantly because she knew that it was all partially true, he loved her more than life itself, but she doubted he would find a way out of this one. Her family and friends left right after lunch, they had a long road ahead, and she had been so gleeful to be able to see her sister and hold her in her arms, she never thought of how awful and empty she was going to feel whence they left.

That night, she only allowed herself to sleep a moment; like Prim, she had been suffering from night terrors ever since she arrived to that accursed house, unlike Prim, she could not fathom having the lights out during the night, especially in a house where the ghosts of an unhappy family lurked in scary places. She would never be able to sleep at night again, not without his arms wrapped around her waist, and his heart beating rhythmically under her fingertips and cheek. She missed his scent, his sturdiness and warmth, the way she felt safe with him wrapped around her body in bed, she missed him like the dandelion misses the sun during the night time, like the weeping willow misses the breeze that gently rocks its leaves from side to side. A loud thunder that shook the house and the flash of blinding lighting woke her with a scream lodge in her throat, and tears streaking her face.

As if in a dream, there he stood. As beautiful and golden as the sun, she was inclined to believe her mind was playing tricks on her, she missed him so bad, she could force herself to see him standing there under the threshold leading into her bedchamber, chest heaving up and down out of breath, hair darkened and damped with the storm outside, the beard though, was new, and she was not sure her mind could have conjured up the image in front of him or dreamt how very, very, manly the beard looked on him. His eyes were searching, and this made her realized her brain was not capable of concocting this amount of detail either, the way his riding coat dripped rain water, the way he was removing his leather gloves, or his dark coat, or the way his muscles moved under his white soaked shirt that stuck to his broad shoulders allowing her to feast her gaze on the chest she had been dying to feel... The shirt was gone as well in a moment, leaving only chilled, glorious skin for her eyes to scan over. 

"Peeta?" She choked, Her voice barely audible, she rose to kneel on her mattress and dragged herself to edge of the bed, as close as she could get to him in this way, it took him only two long strides before he was kissing her lips, his hands, buried in her loose tresses, cupping her face hungrily, in the small of her back pulling her up and out of her bed and then pressing her flushed against him. When she could not suppress a sob from leaving the back of her throat, he broke the punishing kiss and rested his forehead on hers. Breathing hard, he brought a hand to caress her face again.

"Happy birthday, my love... I apologize I could not arrived earlier, Johanna and Gale were only able to sneak me out of the palace just recently." He chuckled breathlessly. Her only response was a choked off laugh full of tears. "I only have two hours, before I have to return to the Capitol... I hope you do not mind."

"Why would I mind, Sire? You came! That is all that matters!" She said between gasps and sobs. He kissed her again, and wrapped her in his arms, breathing her in, she tried doing the same, and she lamented that instead of his usual scent, he smelled like rain water.

"Um... I would have picked you up and carried you to bed, but... Something is blocking my attempt!" He said placing a warm, hand on top of her enlarged belly, and was rewarded with a very strong kick. "Excuse you! I am referring to you, young lady!"

"Or man!" Giggled Katniss.

"Or man..." Peeta reluctantly conceded. "I am still convinced it is a daughter you are currently housing..." Then abruptly, he fell on his knees, and with a theatrical flourish started to talk into Katniss' stomach causing the child to do somersaults, "Any way, Daddy is here, and although I am quite upset that I can no longer lift your beautiful mother in my arms and over my shoulder as easy as I used to, I am so proud to hear from the doctors that you are growing healthy and quite fast! I cannot wait to have you in my arms..." Then he looked up at Katniss who was biting her lower lip, a tear or two falling silently down her cheeks, "both of you," he said quietly, because this was for Katniss' ears not for the little shrimp in her belly. Her hands gingerly touched the contours of his face, and he sighed deeply sinking into her touch.

"I miss you like crazy, darling." He stood up, and lowered her down on the bed, lifting her legs to coil around his hips as he made quick work of the clothing separating them.

"I miss you too, my Lord..." Her legs fell open and without any preamble, he sank deep into her,

“Peeta, my Lady...” he corrected her patiently, “I am naught but your servant...” their union was slow, and measured and blissful.

 

======================

 

"Johanna and Gale are getting wedded in a month" Peeta whispered into her hair, fingers lazily twisting into a long lock of it. "They have this insane idea of having the ceremony just outside DeLoach Manor, so you can peek through the top story windows and see the wedding." He said sleepily, she tightened her hold on him but uttered no words at the news. She was happy for her friends, and felt an incredible pain pierce her chest at the notion that she would have to miss their special day. "She refuses to step down from her position with the Knights though, and I really have no idea of what to do with that!" He said a bit morosely, she finally chuckled at this, ' _it is such a Johanna thing to do, why would he even expect her to voluntarily leave her post?'_

"Well, as long as she keeps doing her job correctly, I see no reason why she should be barred from it... She is good at what she does, and she has done it so long, it is part of her identity, who she is, you cannot force her to abandon the one thing is actually hers, so she can become something she has not the foggiest idea of how to be... Johanna Mason is many things, but a housewife, she is not!"

"I guess you are right..." He mused quietly after a soft chuckle "Your logic is always so sound, and that is why I am so fucking crazy about you!" He had her pinned on her back in a quick maneuver. She exhaled a breath and a little moan left her lips, "You sound so provocative, darling... It always amazes me that just one sigh of yours makes my entire body react like a jackrabbit in heat" he smirked devilishly as he eased his harden manhood into her warmth for the second time that night, she gave him a breathy giggle, and kissed his lips tenderly, in fact their coital encounters that night were slow and tender and ended sweetly. Lovers stealing minutes from hours that ended too quickly. Soon Peeta was buttoning his drenched trousers back on, while she sat in the middle of the bed wrapped in sheets, with tear tracks descending her face steadily.

"Katniss..." Said Peeta quietly, sitting at the edge of the mattress, pulling her unto his lap, damned if he was soaking her naked romp with his rained on clothing, as he wiped her tears with his thumb, "Love, I am working tirelessly to figure out a way to free you from this prison. It killed me to have you sent away from me, I miss falling asleep with you in my arms, I miss watching your belly grow bigger with our child, I miss feeling it kick and move, above all I miss just being with you, conversing and picking that beautiful brain of yours with questions I cannot figure how to answer on my own... I firmly believe you would be the best asset to our Kingdom if you were allowed out of this jail and into my team of advisors," he kissed her forehead, "I need you to trust that I am doing all I can to bring you back to me, I need you to always remember that I love you with everything I have"

"But... Majesty, I am nothing more than a murderer, I know that this is my fate, to give you this child and then give my life for a better Panem. I do not mind the lot I have been given, my Lord, not as long as mother and Prim and yourself are happy and in good health, as long as this baby is allowed a safe life under the care of his or her father. Believe me, Sire... I am alright with it" she had fresh tears trailing down her cheeks but her voice and her steely gaze did not waver, this caused a chill to run down his spine, he hated that she was so resigned to a fate that was not yet set on stone, not while he still had breath in him.

"Yeah? Well, I am not! And please, I beg of you, stop calling me formal names, I am your Peeta, I belong to you, not the other way around!"

"You are the King!" She disentangled from him in exasperation,

"I am your fucking husband!" He yelled in frustration, "Remember we toasted? Remember I swore to you to make it official before God and Men? Remember I promised you I would fight for you, always?" He was the one crying his frustrations out now, while she stared at the wall in front of her stubbornly. "All I ever wanted was to be yours... To keep, to love, to share a life with... Please, grant me that wish, and I will do everything to undo all the bad that has befallen us." He pleaded sadly, and she finally could not resist his pull, but she had to be realistic, so she asked,

"And if I recklessly give you what you want, and your attempts at freeing me fail, what then?" Her voice flat, but her eyes were soft and loving as she held his watery gaze.

"Then I break you out from here, and we run!" He said, not a trace of hesitancy in his response.

"Peeta... You-you cannot renounce the crown for me! That is not fair!"

"I will too! And putting you in this god-awful place is what is not fair, not when your actions were heroic..."

"I killed a man! It matters not who or what he was, I took his life!"

"And he took your father's, and Glimmer's and Cashmere's, he would have taken mine as well, and do not even get me started on his sexual crimes! He raped Cashmere right under my nose, Katniss, he threatened to kill you and rape Prim, and he was evil and deserved to die!" Katniss cringed at his harsh words and angered voice, she felt like she would be sick with all he was saying, yes, Coriolanus Snow was horrible human being, but she was not better if she sank to his level and killed him, but knowing that she unknowingly saved her sister from the predator, made her feel like she had a justifiable reason to have shoot him. 

"He deserved to be tried for his crimes, and so do I!" She managed to whisper.

"You deserve a pardon... And to be crowned as my queen. You deserve the best, not death, and whether you approve or not, I will get you out of here, mark my words!" And because he had stayed longer than he was supposed to, he stood up in front of her, dug his fingers on her hips and yanked her up to him, his mouth devoured hers, it was rough and angry and full of want, "Stop being a martyr, I will get you away from this pit of despair, and then I will personally tear it apart stone by stone, for you and for Cashmere!" He was so stubborn, she believed he would try.

 

======================

 

Summer was unseasonably mild; according to the calendar, that day marked Prim's sixteenth birthday, and all Katniss was allowed to do to celebrate the occasion was to squat down in her little vegetable garden and weed it out. It was tedious, hard laboring, but she relished the feeling of dirt under her nails, the quiet work also allowed her to simply think... Reminisce, more accurately, about her childhood. Things were so different now than back then, for one, they had a father, for another thing, they were poor as dirt but happy, in contrast with her adolescence when they had no father, were still poor as dirt but no longer happy.

Things were partly different now, but some things remained the same, they still had no father, they were grotesquely wealthy now, but were the most unhappy ever. At least she was, she could not speak for Prim; she knew from tidbits dropped here and there from correspondence with Annie, passing as Finnick's assistant, that Peeta was offering the most lavished and extravagant ball in his palace in honor of her little sister's Sweet Sixteenth birthdate. She had rolled her eyes at this, and then felt irrationally resentful towards Peeta, it was unfair that he was allowed to throw Primrose parties, when she was stuck in that jail, Prim was HER little sister, not Peeta's! She latched on her angry feelings because she was tired of feeling sad, so she stayed angry the rest of the week, but not today! today she was too full of pent up energy and anxiety, she wondered about all kinds of things, from the gown Prim must have chosen on her own for the event, to who must have they hired to cater, and who was invited and who was not, she decided it was a moot point trying to imagine herself attending, it was not going to happened and it was depressing her fast to think about those things.

"My Lady... The post came!" Said Cecilia interrupting Katniss' musings. She stood up from the garden, and wiped her hands off dirt on the formerly white apron she wore over her now very protruding belly. She was in her last trimester finally, but her belly was so big and round anyone would think she was about to pop. She waddled as quick as she could to take the mail from Cecilia's hands, the maid gave her a wan smile, before saying in a kind voice, "I believe the lady should have a drink of water and put her feet up for a while, the garden will still be here in the morrow if you take a rest"

"Fine! But I am resting just to please you! I do not feel fatigued at all!" It was partly true, she wanted to be doing stuff and not just sitting around on her ass but she did wanted a drink of water. Cecilia chuckled and shook her head. "I will come help you weed if that is alright, just after I finish tidying up the dining room"

"Sounds like a great plan, my dear Cecilia! Now, let us go inside for that drink you offered"

When she had sat at the rustic kitchen table, she opened her letter; the only correspondence she was allowed to receive or send out was to Lord Odair, her attorney. But, Cecilia and Sae got letters from virtually everyone Katniss knew that had an excuse to write to the maid or the cook, this was how she was kept informed of most of the going ons everywhere. Annie was a bit sneakier, she would hide small notes in letters from Finnick to her, she would make passing comments that at the naked eye were harmless and even unnecessary, but they achieved the intended purpose, once she read them. Katniss was expecting this to be one of those code letters, but it was not. The letter was a paragraph and three lines long,

 

_Esteemed Miss Everdeen,_

_This is a quick note to announced my impending visit, there is much to be discussed, and some documents concerning a new contract for yourself and an agreement concerning your child, both need to be signed at your most convenient brevity. I have taken the liberty to invite Lord Abernathy, Earl of Seam, to accompany me in this visit so he can explain certain aspects of the new contract in a more basic manner. Looking forward to meeting with you._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Finnick Odair, Baron Quattro, Attorney at Law._

 

"Well," her shoulders sagged in disappointment, she would not allow fear to plague her just now, "That was a bummer... on the other hand, Sae and you will have an audience soon, dear!" She intoned to her house maid, then out of the blue, the sobs wracked her body. Thank heavens for the sincere fondness Sae and Cecilia felt for their mistress, because only their combined embrace lulled her into a fitful nap that afternoon.

 

======================

 

"Wow, Sweetheart! That boy did a number on you!" Exclaimed Lord Abernathy with both amusement and surprise as he appraised her appearance. She was wearing a dress that last time he saw her in, was ample a even a tad big on her, it now was nearly completely filled in with her enormous belly, She fixed her uncle with a well-deserved scowl and rose above the bait.

"My Lord, how nice to see your charm is still intact!" Was all the response she gave him, he guffawed at this and asked her if she was sure she did not have multiple children tucked in there, this gave her pause and her scowl morphed into sheer terror.

"Leave her alone!" hissed Finnick in Haymitch's ear, before extending his own hand so she could shake it in greeting. "Miss Everdeen always a pleasure... Forgive my companion; he lacks the ability of filtering his thoughts..."

"Am I to understand that you _think_ the same way as my beloved Uncle here does, but just will not voice your inner thoughts out of politeness?" She asked with a false sweetness coloring her honey-like tone and smile. Finnick was taken aback at this passive-aggressive response, but Haymitch laughed out loud with gusto. "I am aware I resemble a blue whale that is also pregnant, thank you very much! Now, if you gentlemen are done pointing out my grotesque body growth, it will be lovely to proceed with whatever this meeting is about? I feel like I have been in pins and needles for far too long!" She stated glaring at Haymitch who was still snickering behind a revolting looking, cream colored handkerchief, she was ninety nine percent sure it used to be white when Clove had embroidered close to fifty of them back in Winter Home.

"Whoa... Easy there, Sweetheart! Do not rip our heads off just yet; I think Odair has something to calm your frayed nerves, my delicate flower!" Said Haymitch mockingly, while she narrowed her eyes in his direction and then shifted them to Finnick.

"Um... Yes-Well. Sure, we could go down to business if that is what you  would preferred, although, I am supposed to deliver this note from the women first...” said Finnick giving her a nervous but heart stopping smile, as he fidgeted with his jacket pockets “Aha! There you are!" he said pulling out an envelope from the depths of his jacket pocket "And I was instructed, rather threateningly I must add, by Duchess Mason to allow you a few minutes to read it before we dive in on more serious business." Finnick who usually was the fountain from where all calmness came, seemed flustered, maybe because of her cold and hostile reception; she blamed Haymitch for that, but Finnick had invited him along, so ultimately, it was still Finnick's fault. This had nothing to do with the chemical imbalance her pregnant hormones had created, she acutely aware of the hormones.

"If Johanna commanded it, then I will obey... I will read the note first, and then, you will tell me straight away what is this new contract about!" She said morosely, but once she saw the envelope with the delicate swirls of her Mother's handwriting, she all but ripped it out of Finnick's proffered palm.

She tore through the letter with greedy eyes; Finnick had grossly mislabeled it as 'Note', there were at least four pages to the letter, paragraphs would jump from one penmanship to another, to go back to the initial one; there were at least six different handwritings in the letter including the scribbling of young Posy in her heart and flower littered three liner note; the pages were filled with mundane little gossip, reports pertaining to her house in Merch and the Healing Center, a detailed account of Prim's sweet sixteenth ball, where she even included a small sketch of what her dress looked like, she actually made Mr. Cinna sketch it for the purpose of providing a visual illustration in the letter, Katniss was really not at all surprise Mr. Cinna had been the one Prim chose to create her gown, after all, the both of them pretty much wore exclusively his and Mrs. Portia's creations, even now in her confinement she wore a Cinna dress.

There were also reminders and advices from her mother and Effie about eating right and the importance of sleep and rest, Hazelle had little sprinkles of shared wisdom here and there, but the afore mentioned women were the worst offenders at writing their pieces in between other people's entries, it was as if they suddenly remembered to add something to the list of 'does and do nots' and wrestled the pen and parchment from whoever was writing.

Jo included, among lurid stories of her love life as a newly married woman that made Katniss groaned and rub her temple in disapproval, other news as well, albeit only brief mentions of how Peeta was fighting tooth and nail to clear her from all charges, or at least be granted a pardon; he apparently had even threatened with giving her the pardon himself, until Mr. Heavensbee, who had taken an interest in her case and had been an invaluable asset for the defense, reminded him, that just because he was King, it did not mean he should interfere with this specific court ruling (unless it was blatantly unfair, that was) her freedom, Heavensbee insisted, had to be won on its own merits, so later, no one could refute her innocence or accused him of nepotism and corruption, everyone, even Snow's old allies, were trying to distanced Peeta from the damaging image of a corrupted and totalitarian Coriolanus Snow in order to boost the people's sense of safety, stability and peace.

The last few lines were from the unlikely source of Rue. She thanked her for all the good she had vested upon her, she also gave her her official resignation from her post as housemaid in Winter Home, she informed her that Mrs. Everdeen and Prim had insisted on taking her under their wings as an apprentice, she then added, that she was grateful for Katniss never blaming her over what happened to Prim, she apologized for being a coward and not standing up to defend her best friend, but she now understood she had not the strength or the means for it, she was happy she was able to help identify the culprits, and now Enobaria and some relative of hers were under arrest for the crimes. She closed the letter with this:

_My Lady Katniss, sometimes things happened for reasons we do not usually understand right away, but we have to trust that whatever the actions we have taken at a moments notice, are the correct actions for the time, whether it is to freeze in place or to shoot an arrow into an evil man, only God above knows his endgame, and I am sure he allows us to do as our strengths permit, and then work with what is left to bring to completion a good deed. I believe this is true for you as much as me! Please be well, we, the humble people of Panem pray daily for your freedom and happiness... Do as much as you can to let the higher powers work in your favor! Sincerely yours, Rue._

Katniss took a minute to meditate on what everyone had written, she was struck by the weight of the words from Rue, if the people of Panem thought her some sort of Joan of Arc they were wrong, she was a simple maid from a peasant family that had the fortune or lack thereof, to fall into the lap of wealth and the arms of an incredibly good man, she was not what Panem needed, the people needed a man like her Peeta to rule with justice and love. She had made up her mind.

"I will sign" she said, voice scratchy from misuse and holding back tears.

"Um... Excuse me?" said Finnick confusedly.

"I will sign, I will do whatever you tell me to do, I will accept any conditions of anything, just give me the documents." She said more firmly "As long as you promise that my child will be protected, I will agree with anything you want!"

"Do not be ridiculous, Sweetheart! You have not even the foggiest idea of what the contract is about! You have to read it, digest it and make a conscious decision. You understanding what you are about to get into is the whole point of us being here, so take your time to..." Haymitch tried to reason, but she was not having it.

"I do not care about the minute details of whatever; just swear the child will be alright..."

"Katniss, the child and yourself would be more than alright, but this are delicate matters we are dealing with here..." Finnick's voice carried a tinge of urgency, "Peeta's grieving period ended a week ago, and he is getting all kinds of pressure to take a wife. The idiots at the Chamber of Lords have given him less than a month to wed a woman of his choosing, since he is not in mourning anymore, women from all over Panem have been flocking to the Palace seeking _private audiences_ with His Majesty, who also happens to be the most desirable bachelor in the kingdom, the Chamber of Judges are dragging their feet when it comes to your trial, because the people wants you out and honored, but Snow's supporters want you hanged and vilified, we are fighting against time here, all of us, and you have to be very sure and very careful of what you do."

"Just come out with what the contract will entail and it will suffice!" She said curtly, the idea of Peeta being accosted by all these women trying to insinuate themselves to him was making her sick, and her heart shattered thinking that this people were forcing Peeta to wed someone for the sake of wedding them, just the same way his uncle Snow had done with Cashmere; she had no interest on listening any more bad news. Haymitch rubbed his face with both his hands in frustration.

Taking a deep breath he said, "The first one is a document that basically grants paternity rights to Peter Mellark, 'the man', not the Duke or the Prince or the King... there is some stuff Cashmere left behind, certain documentation with proof of your purity when you entered into her service, the documents you are about to sign simply state that you were a virgin the first time you lay with Peeta and that he is the only man you have ever been with. This will mean that the resulting child can only be his..."

"That being said," supplied Finnick, "The child will be recognized as a legitimate Mellark heir without shadow of a doubt, granting him or her the right to the Mellark surname upon birth, because the child was conceived under the protection of Concubinage bond. Now the next agreement states that since you are currently a prisoner awaiting trial, in the very likely event that the child is born while you remain under arrest, you will concede all custodial rights to the father, meaning..."

"The child will go straight to Peeta once born" she said flatly, Finnick nodded.

"Maybe we can negotiate the finer details, maybe we can have the babe stay with you until is a few months old, brand new infants need their mothers for all kinds of things, after all" Haymitch was talking fast, seeing her face drain from all emotion and turning into a dead stone in front of them.

"So, you mean the child will be legally considered a rightful heir of Peeta if I signed the documents?" Her eyes red rimmed but determined.

"Certainly, but we still have not talked about the last contract, which will be beneficial to everyone and ultimately render all this other ones inconsequenti..."

"Then nothing else matters!” Katniss interrupted Finnick in mid-sentence impatiently, “I just want my child to grow up without the stigma of having been born out of wedlock, I do not want my child to grow up in shame being called a bastard... I am willing to give up my child if it means a better life for him or her, the baby already loves Peeta, I can feel it every time his voice rings out and the child kicks my inner organs excitedly... I have no doubt Peeta will make a magnificent father" She choked at the end of her sentence but kept a stoic face in place.

"Sweetheart, no one is asking you to give up your kid, in fact it is the opposite... Just read the goddamned documents!" The Earl barked at her pounding a fist on the dining room table they were occupying.

"I do not care what they say... The only thing I ask... My Lord Odair... Please... If the child is born male, may I be allowed to nurse him, at least once?" She nearly broke up in tears, if this child was a boy, he will be the Crown Prince of Panem, Heir to the Throne, the most important person in the kingdom for sure, a lowly criminal would never be considered acceptable as wet nurse for him.

"Katniss you can do anything you want, it is your child..." Finnick started to speak, but Haymitch stopped him.

"Leave her alone Odair... If the girl is so damned stubborn, then let her be stubborn... That will teach her!" He was fed up; "She could save herself so much grief if she just read the damned papers in front of her!" He muttered angrily under his breath.

Finnick simply, presented a pen to her and slid the stack of papers with dotted lines, she scribbled her name on everything without ever glancing at it, but Finnick stopped her once she got to the last page.

"Katniss, up until now, you have been considered Peter Mellark's property, a slave of sorts, and initially that kept you safe from the noose; now that a medically trained professional has determined and confirm your pregnancy, that coverage of Peeta's ownership serves no purpose. Once you sign this last document, your Servitude Contract with Mr. Mellark will be void and null,” he said pointing at the one she had in her hand currently, she glanced at it uninterested, “Now, this document is a totally different agreement, one that will grant Peeta permission to tie you to one last contract in your behalf.” He pulled one page out of the stack and placed it next to the one she had just signed “Once he proceeds with this last contract, at eyes of the law, you will be considered property and symbol of the People of Panem. Will you be willing to do to that? It is an enormous responsibility, and right now I am talking as your friend and not just your attorney, I think you should read _this one_ " Katniss eyed the pristinely typed piece of paper in front of her, her eyes were blurry with unshed tears, none of the words made any sense, nothing stuck, it was like she was looking at a mass of incoherently put together letters and even if she wanted to actually read it, she doubted it would help her understand any of it. She released a stuttering breath knowing that once her name was stamped in ink in this paper, the last connection to her lover would be shattered, but her child would be protected. She signed above the line meant for her name and pushed the lot back to Finnick, who pursed his lips and shook his head in frustration.

“Well done, Sweetheart” the sarcasm oozed from Haymitch as he said the words.

Katniss stood up abruptly, muttering rashly "Cecilia will see you both gentlemen to the door!" And she ducked out of the room before she did something stupid, like sob in misery in front of this men that would undoubtedly report every last piece of information back to Peeta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dream sequence/ flashback/ internal thoughts/ letters and quote from Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne in italics.
> 
> Regent: A person appointed to administer a State because the Monarch is a minor, is absent or is incapacitated. If the regent is holding this temporary position due to his or her position in the line of succession and thus is a member of the royal house, the term used is often prince regent or princess regent. Since I'm making this up as I go, Peeta is simply called a regent until his coronation... I'm working with close to none knowledge of proper monarchy hierarchy or protocol here, bare with me, it's all fiction after all.
> 
> Deposition: the process of giving sworn evidence, in this case Finnick is providing evidence to end servitude/slavery and eventually concubinage. 
> 
> What did you think about the Mockingjay: part 2 trailer?!?!? I was in Vacation and my relatives thought I was crazy when I couldn't stop talking about it. 
> 
> In unrelated news, I just got me a tumblr account... Yesterday!... Alliswell21, come say hi? My space is pitifully empty.


	27. Long Live the King; Long Live the Queen; Long Live the Royal Child!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters of The Hunger Games series. 
> 
> Dedication: 
> 
> To abk1973 for seeing this all the way 'till the end, and being and amazing Beta: Thank You! You made this story so much better! It is a true honor working with you! :)
> 
> To my readers that have followed this story, this is for you! Thank you for giving my story a chance, whether you are a silent anonymous reader or one who has left comments, this last chapter is for you! Thank you if you reviewed, liked, left kudos and/or bookmarked... I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your support, you guys rock super hard! 
> 
> A huge Thank You to the talented loving_mellark for the beautiful art that graces The Concubine, you are amazing! 
> 
> And last but not least, to SC, for creating this Amazing, complex, and enchanting characters, you have inspire a whole community! Thank you! 
> 
> Now, please go forth and enjoy the last ever chapter of my first published fanfic! ... Fair warning, this one is exaggeratedly long, I'm not kidding!

 

It had been about three weeks since Finnick and Haymitch had come to visit her, and the silence she had been left in, was deafening.

No one, had contacted her since Finnick and Haymitch left; no one, had even written to either Sae or Cecilia. She had been kicking herself up for not reading what she signed herself into, for now she felt truly abandoned; she was seated in the yard under the warm sun, belly impossibly large and according to her doctor, sitting a bit lower than should be according to the gestational age, the physician was reconsidering the calculations of the conception for two or three weeks prior to what Mrs. Everdeen had presumed; Katniss argued she knew the exact day she became sexually active, and it could not have been three weeks before her mother's estimation as she had been a virgin then, which meant she must have actually conceived the day of their first coupling. ' _Peeta was nothing but effective_ ' she thought in annoyance.

As she sat there, mind running wild with speculations of what the people she loved could be up to at the moment, whilst she simply wasted away, in the meantime this tiny person inside her hijacked her entire being, she felt bloated, uncomfortable and tired, her limbs were so heavy and she could barely breathe when laying on her back, the skin over her breasts felt stretched out thin, tender to the touch and discolored, she was suddenly happy Peeta could not see her, because she favored a hippopotamus walking on hind legs and knew for a fact she was not an appealing sight at the moment... even her face was ugly! In the middle of her spastics thoughts she realized there was a growing murmur behind the closed doors of her manor, like a faraway wave, it was slowly building, until it was loud enough to sound like people celebrating in the streets.

She sprang to her feet and ran... Waddled... very fast... To the nearest window facing the road. This house was not by any means close to a populated area, it stood alone nestled in between open fields, on a partially paved road, leading to the main road towards town, so it was unlikely that if there was something worth celebrating in town, the enthusiasm would spill all the way out there; Katniss was not the only curious one in the house either, Sea and Cecilia joined her at the window, and she could see the guards posted at the gates of the little fortress straining their necks to try and get a better look at whatever was happening out there. Soon the noise was close enough to be discernible.

A herald, on a horse, assumedly to be riding from town to town was sharing a message, she could not quite make what the announcement was, so she opened her window panes as fast as she could, but the house was still tucked back too far from the road, the man’s voice did not travel very well over the excited chattering of the crowd, with all the hoots and chants of the few people following him as they celebrated whatever good news he was trumpeting about.

"You there!" Katniss called down to one of the guards. The young man looked up and she recognized him as the one that was always stationed at Peeta's study, back in the palace, the peacekeeper was staring at her expectantly, "Can you make out what the herald is announcing?"

"No, ma'am, regrettably I cannot!" The young man responded, looking a bit disappointed.

"Well... Would you mind jogging up there and asking?" She suggested, the peacekeeper looked at his companion who shrugged as response, so he lifted his face up once more and grinned at her.

"My pleasure ma'am!" Not sooner he said that, he took off like an arrow, it was about a 400 feet run to the road, but he did it without breaking a sweat, soon he was back his face full of confusion, he stood facing her, she was perched on the windowsill of a second story window.

"What news?" She asked curiously,

The kid stood there a little dejected, and then focused his gaze on her face, "The King, my Lady... has wedded by proxy. The new Queen is to be brought to the Capitol in five weeks, and then a coronation..." His brow was furrowed, "I-I am sorry, ma'am, I thought you..." But he cut himself off, turning his back to her, resuming his post. It was a good thing Sea and Cecilia were there to catch her, because her legs had turned to gelatin and they were melting quite rapidly, ' _This could not be really happening! Peeta cannot have married... He was supposed to marry, her!'_

So, the melancholy set deep into her chest. She had no desire to eat or drink, or even get out of bed, her dog had taken to sleep in the soft bed next to her mistress, and Katniss allowed it because Diana was the only warm body allowed to accompany her in this dreary new life of loneliness she was left in, forgotten, she clang to her loyal hound because it was the last remnant of a life she had naively set her heart upon, but destined to never be. Somehow Diana knew when the kisses of her wet tongue were needed, because time and again, it was there to wipe clean, cheeks from the silent tears that marred her human’s quickly hollowing face at night when the house was silent as a tomb; Diana did as much as a pup could to bring some light into a very dark time in her mistress’ life, but maybe the dog knew she was not enough to mend the human’s broken heart, nevertheless, the canine’s vigils never ceased and Katniss was grateful for it.

It was perhaps this same canine intuition, the one that seemed to bring the Hound to lay quietly at her mistress’ feet when she was particularly down, that tipped Cecilia that something different was happening with Katniss on that fateful night. Yes, Katniss had been depressed and grieving for days, weeks even, barely eating or even leaving her  private chambers, they had voiced their concerns to the doctor that came to see her every week, and it was finally decided that a nurse would take up residence in the manor in the upcoming weeks; even with the adjusted due date, they still sat at thirty five weeks of gestation, and her physical health had been pretty stellar up until her emotional health started to deteriorate. there really was no reason to believe the babe would arrive early, nor the labor would present any complications.

But, in a rare night in which Katniss had actually eaten a hearty meal for supper, bathed, combed and braided her now ridiculously long hair that reached the top of her hips when loose, she felt at peace with the world and went in to bed at a decent time, Diana in tow. The dog had been acting anxious most of the day, she would not leave her mistress' side for even a moment, completely ignoring even her bowl full of feed and fresh water; she had nervously circled around her human while standing, and while seated her chin was always on top of Katniss' foot or knee. But, it had not been an hour from the time Katniss blew out the candle that illuminated her otherwise dark bedchamber, when the Diana had started barking like a maniac, with that booming hound dog call of hers. By the time Cecilia reached Katniss' door, Diana had been scratching at it frantically.

"What is the matter girl?" Cecilia asked the dog as she scratched her head fondly, Diana whined but pulled away clearly meaning for the human to follow her; Katniss’ master suite was big, with a small antechamber and attached washroom, her bed was nothing like her four poster at Winter Home or the humongous ornate one at the palace, this one was simple, but big, with a sturdy wooded headboard but nothing else. Katniss laid smack in the middle of it, curled up in a tight ball, her face contorting uncharacteristically for her and lose tendrils of hair sticking to her sweaty neck and forehead.

"My lady Katniss, is everything alright?" The maid asked softly, placing a gentle hand on the girl's back feeling her soaked-through nightgown. Katniss blinked turning to see who had touched to her as if noticing for the first time that someone had come into her room.

"Oh... Hi, Cecilia... Everything is fine, yes. Thank you." She said with a faint smile that begged to differ.

"Diana does not think so, my lady, she seems quite worried..." Cecilia gave the dog a soft grateful smile, and Diana whined her approval, she knew she had done right! "You know, living with this dog for so long one learns to trust their instincts. Dogs seem to have a sixth sense of sorts when their masters are in pain or sick." She said in a soft voice, her dark brown eyes scanning the girl clearly twisted in pain on the bed.

"Well, Diana is just a dramatic puppy! I am fine, so you can just go back to bed; I know you must be tired..." Her words cut off suddenly as she clenched her teeth and her whole body stiffened, she let out a choked whine, before relaxing, "I am alright... Really... Stomach must have disagreed with something from supper, go to sleep, Cecilia, please." She begged with a smile and a lot of fear in her eyes she was trying to hide with no avail.

"I think I will send a message to His Grace... Um... His Highness... His... _Ugh_... Forget it! I will send word to the **King** , about this." Katniss could tell that the maid felt proud to refer to Peeta as _the King,_ honestly, she was proud of it too! she was about to protest when another one of those uncomfortable pains came. The pain itself was not so bad, but the tightness across her stomach, though, was another story altogether; she was too late to argue with Cecilia, the woman had rushed out her chamber and soon after she heard galloping hooves and clinging of gates, a messenger had been sent out. She groaned, because she knew _everyone_ was going to make a big deal out of this, for no flipping reason, this baby still had a few weeks to simmer before it was time. She placed a hand over her now relax stomach and spoke softly to the person in there.

"Hi, there little one... Um... I just wanted to kindly ask you to... you know, settle down? There is no reason whatsoever to be rushing your arrival, I much rather you stayed put where you are a bit longer... It is safer where you are... I am not ready to give you up just yet... Could you please just, go to sleep?" Sadly, as children often do, mother's words go ignored.

Katniss had fallen asleep after Sae made her drink a cup of chamomile tea sweetened with half a spoon of honey and half a spoon of sleep syrup, it was enough to make her eyelids droop and her body feel heavy and soon she was having the loveliest dream, she saw her children dancing and singing in a pretty meadow, she saw **him** smiling and his arms full with his children, I her dream she been napping under a quiet, lovely, sturdy willow tree, but her family came to wake her because it was time now... she shot up like a cork out of a bottle of champagne, the pain sharp and unbearable, the skin around her swollen belly tight and tense, she noticed candles had been lit all over the place, and the clock that sat opposite her informed her it had been two hours since she fell asleep. By now it was pretty clear she was in labor, and there was no way to stop it. She felt the panic rising like a tidal wave, she just prayed the messenger had reached Peeta already and that Peeta would be allowed to come see his child being born; no matter how scared she was, it would be worse if he did not come. It had been many weeks since the last time she had seen him, and all she wanted now was to have him sit next to her, as soon as the pain came again, tears sprung up, but then the most wonderful thing happened, a female voice spoke to her, and she sobbed harder because although her words were clipped and all business like, a great deal of stress and fear had just been lifted off of her soul... Her mother was there.

"Oh, good, you are awake." Katniss' face turned to see the woman that did not look at all like she had just ridden straight from Merch to DeLoach Mannor, she was too put together, every hair in its right place, her crisp healer uniform pristine, her face free of worry, she did not even look a bit tired. "I will be able to check your progress, a lot much easier now that you are awake and can actually assist with your own care!" This by no means, was the warm reunion a normal mother and daughter that had been forcefully separated for so long should have, but it was an unspoken understanding that the Everdeen women dealt with stress and emotions through cool professionalism.

"Mother, when... How are you here so fast?" She finally chocked out, whilst her mother was laying on the bed all the different instruments she was about to use on her.

"Been here in the District for three days, actually. Stupidly, they would not allow me to move into the manor until week thirty six, but his Majesty insisted I should be here just in case... It seems he was right as per usual." She said this without sparing her daughter a glance, but Katniss could sense the shift in her facial expressions as she spoke, anger when she explained she had been detained, then something akin to respect or even fondness when she mentioned Peeta. "Now lay flat on your back and bring your legs up, feet on the mattress, please..." But as Katniss moved to comply, she felt a rush of wetness come out of her, almost like her bladder had completely emptied right then, "Huh... Well, I guess we are closer than I thought then!" Said the woman, she finally made eye contact with her daughter and Katniss was surprised to see a glint of joy in there.

"I-I do not understand... I am so sorry I... _peed_." Said Katniss embarrassedly, tearing up again.

"Nonsense! Your water just broke, sweetie. It is a good thing, completely normal! Let us just check how is the dilatation process coming along, and cross our fingers that His Majesty joins us soon, and that this child be just as eager to come out to meet us as its mother and aunt were when they were born!" in a atypical gesture, Mrs. Everdeen looked straight into her daughter's eyes and smiled brightly at her squeezing her hand warmly. "I swear, you girls were a breeze to bring into the world, best thing I have ever done!"

"But... It is too early for this child to come out!" Katniss snapped, her mother only gave her a sharp look before slapping a pair of gloves unto her hands, apparently they were back to _cool professionalism_.

"Really it is not, darling. Babies can be born a few weeks past or short of their set due dates, and it is alright, babies have the uncanny ability to arrive when they are perfectly ready, not a minute more, not a minute less. Children, you will come to find now that you are so soon to become a mother, have their own internal clock, they mature without needed your said so, and then if you delay opening your eyes from a blink, you would wake up to the sad reality that you have missed a great chunk of their lives, and now they are scampering away from you, marrying Kings and becoming emancipated. Do not ever think that you can control your children that way; it is futile to try and keep them tiny and dependent on you... I know."

"I did not marry a King!" Katniss shouted angrily, her mother pursed her lips and shook her head in exasperation,

"Katniss... You should always read the damned contracts you sign! You would be surprised..." But, the younger Everdeen was in no mood for a lecture, of course her mother would hear about the no-reading business, but the outburst accompanied of a cussed word sounded strange in her mother's normally polite lexicon.

"Mother, just... Don't! I am regretful as it is, and stressing about the stupid agreements right this moment is not my priority. Right now I need to concentrate on keeping this child inside of me, because I am not ready... I cannot let this god-awful world have my baby... Not right now when everything is still so frightening, not ever! This child _needs_ to stay inside of me, were it is protected!" The scared girl in front of Mrs. Everdeen did not look like a nineteen year old woman, she looked all but ten, it broke her heart seeing the despair in her daughter's eyes, Katniss had always been so resourceful and sure of herself, this version of herself was new to Mrs. Everdeen, she sighed and her features softened.

"Oh, Katniss... It will be alright!" She held her child's tear streaked face in her gloved hands lovingly, "This child is ready to come meet you in person, and it will be safe as long as you have your arms around him or her... You will see!" When Katniss had finally calmed, her mother instructed her to lay back and relaxed.

Moments later, Mrs. Everdeen announced that she was five centimeters dilated (whatever that meant), Cecilia and Sae had changed the sheets on the bed, although Katniss did not see a point to it, the new sheets were about to be ruined with afterbirth in a few hours time, she had seen it enough to know, from when her mother served as a midwife when she was a young child. Mrs. Everdeen ordered her daughter to get up and walk a bit claiming it would help things along, she made her drink some water and when the pains came back, she sat on a chair next to her, placing one hand on her daughter's pregnant stomach, another one taking her pulse while counting God-knew-what under her breath as she peered into her wrist watch with interest.

There was a commotion somewhere in the distance but the pain was so much worse now than three hours earlier, Katniss could not even begin to focus on anything outside the pain.

"Alright darling, you are doing great! The contractions are getting closer together which is very good, I think you could go back to bed if you so prefer it,"

Katniss opened her mouth to answer, but her respo se died in her lips, unimportant and forgotten, when the door to her chamber flew open with a bang, and in rushed a windswept Peeta, riding cloaked hanging haphazardly over his shoulders as he struggled to pull it away from his body, a look of utter panic covered his whole face, eyes wide and frantic, he did not spare anybody a word but walked straight up to Katniss and stopped dead in his tracks scarcely ten inches in front of her. Penetrating blue gaze fixed only on her because right then she was the only person that mattered or even existed in his world. His mouth opened forming words that would not come out, and finally, _finally_ , he grabbed her face greedily, in leather-glove clad hands and kissed her lips maddeningly until she had to push on his chest when she felt the lack of breathable air.

"You are absolutely breathtaking!" He whispered against her open lips, blue eyes staring hazily into grey, she took into her mouth all the air she could. “I have never seen a creature as gorgeous as you are right in this moment!” he declared with a hitch in his voice, forehead resting against her own sweaty one.

"You lie!" She breathed back curling her fingers around his hands that still held her face closed to his, "I am sweating like a pig, am as round as a hot air balloon, my hair is a mess of tangles and knots so big it will soon fall under rat's nest category, and do not get me started on my feet..." She said softly, brokenly, a trail of tears made their way down her chin from the relief of having him finally here.

"And what is wrong with your feet, my love?" He asked as softly as she spoke to him, his thumbs wiping her face tenderly.

"I cannot _see_ them!" She bursted out in sobs while wailing her answer pitifully. He gave her a watery laugh of his own, placed a kiss on her damped temple and pulled her into his arms tightly, but she continued swatting a hand slapping his bicep weakly "I am serious, you jackass! I have not seen the tips of my toes over my belly in months! I am so disgusting... I know that's why you do not want me anymore!"

"What are you talking about?" He asked pulling away from her, his hand still stroking her cheek, a creased in the middle of his forehead. Finally Mrs. Everdeen cut into the lovers exchange, returning them back to the present.

"Well, since she did not read her very important documents before signing them, she cannot know what they were exactly. In fact, my daughter just made me aware that she did NOT marry a King, so there you have it, my liege." said Mrs. Everdeen in and aggravated matter of fact tone, rolling her eyes in a very Katniss-esque fashion.

"Oh... That is... I see. Should we proceed as Lord Abernathy suggested for the time being, then?" Peeta asked amusedly at Mrs. Everdeen.

"I do not see why not." She said folding her arms stubbornly. “His reasoning was sound and I agree this will serve a great opportunity to mold her stubborn ways.”

Katniss, still in Peeta’s arms, was about to ask what the hell were they talking about when another contraction ripped through her, this one left her dizzy and keeling over, she would have fallen to the floor head first if she had not been in Peeta's strong grip. This, made him panic of course; Mrs. Everdeen calmly instructed him to lay his lover down and allowed him enough time to shed his gloves, cloak and riding jacket before proceeding to give him a thorough report on Katniss' condition, they decided not to call in the physician after Katniss had fought them all about it, after all, her mother was a perfectly capable midwife with ample experience, she could handle bringing her own grandchild into the world!

Another hour or so passed, where contractions got closer together and the pain intensified; in between bouts of clarity, Katniss had seen Johanna pace the room nervously, and then Gale peaking his head in to let Peeta know something had been taken care of or some perimeter had been secured, he would give Katniss anxious glances every other second, he looked paler than Peeta did, which was saying something. It would have been quite comical, had it not unnerved Katniss with his constant worried looks. Johanna finally barred him from coming back in, as he was making _her_ nervous as well. Peeta sat on a chair next to the bed holding Katniss’ hand the whole time, he would try to fan her sticky sweaty skin, he had been wiping her forehead with cold damped rags. He kissed her knuckles, and temple and hair so many times she had lost count. He would tell her stories just about everything to keep her distracted.

"Oh... You will appreciate this last bit of gossip as much as I did!" He said confidently with a smirk on his lips, she looked up at him expectantly, panting as the aftershocks of her last contraction faded away, "So, Haymitch has finally stopped being a gigantic idiot and popped the question to Lady Trinket!" The smile in his voice was unmistakable.

"No way! When? Why now?" She smiled at him, and for the moment, it was a real smile.

"Well, you remember Mr. Latier had been so very taken with old Effie? They had been sharing correspondence, Haymitch finally got fed up when she received this ridiculous giant stuffed animal bear and a poem signed by the inventor, Beetee Latier,"

"The old coot just dropped on one knee right then and there, in front of _everyone_ , and in true Haymitch not-so-romantic fashion, basically grunted his proposal!" supplemented Johanna who was now chuckling quietly to herself.

"Oh heavens! This is so funny... How did Lady Trinket respond?" asked Katniss eagerly, not just because she would latch on to anything that kept her mind from the impending ordeal of having to push a human being out of her body, but because it was Effie and Haymitch and she actually cared to hear this.

"She accepted of course. No surprise there really... it was the manner in which she delivered her answer that was... peculiarly out of character for Lady Trinket" Offered Mrs. Everdeen as she checked the dilatation progress once more. "Well dear, it seems that your body is ready to bring your child forward! If you feel the need to push with the next few contractions go right ahead," her mother told her with a sweet smile while giving her knee a reassuring squeeze; Katniss tensed up at her words, Peeta seeing the fear in her eyes kissed her temple once more, and showing a bravery he could only fake for her sake, opened his mouth to whisper encouragement into her ear, but another painful contraction stopped his efforts.

Katniss grunted in pain, as she complained that her hipbones and lower back were on fire, "It is like they are slowly being ripped apart!" She muttered through gritted teeth when the pain finally let up, then she faintly said "My back feels so tired... Will this be over soon? I want to go to sleep now." She said pitifully.

"It will be over soon, sweetheart, and then we would get to meet our little blessing!" Peeta smiled at her with love pouring from his excited blue eyes, twinkling with moisten joy; she wanted to believe him, but the pain came back much too quick and her knuckles turned white as she squeezed the circulation out of Peeta's hand with her own, nails digging into his flesh, he did not complain about it, just bite down on his lower lip and shared in her pain as much as he could.

" _FUCK_! I want this to stop! This child needs to get the fuck out! NOW!" She raged. Peeta looked at Mrs. Everdeen with very wide eyes, nervousness and surprise at the outburst written all over his face, it was not like Katniss to cuss this way. Another grunt from her and this time she gritted out, "Peeta Mellark, since _you_ put me in _this_ position it is your responsibility to keep entertained me from this pain... aargh... so distract me! Or you will never, **ever** get to touch me even chastely again!” Another grunt, her eyes shut tightly, finally resuming a calmer breathing pattern, “What did Effie said to Uncle Haymitch that was so damned out of her character? Finish your story or so help me God I will never let you into my bed again!" she spat digging her nails into his arm.

"Oh!" He chuckled a bit, a little embarrassedly from Katniss clear reference to their intimacy, he massaged her fingers out of his flesh and spoke still smiling "I was not there personally, but her response was quite funny"

"I was there! And I quote:  _'It is high time that you finally grew a courageous bone in your spine, you old geezer! I was getting tired of entertaining myself during lonely nights!_ ' It was so dry and haughty... It was the most romantic thing I have ever seen of them!" Guffawed Johanna speaking right over Peeta, which was probably for the best, the delivery of the punch line sounded like a joke Johanna would say anyway. Katniss wanted to laugh but she could not.

On her next contraction, she bared her teeth and pushed with all her might, "I see the head!" shouted Mrs. Everdeen excitedly. "You are doing amazing, darling!" She shot at Katniss from her spot between her daughter's propped up and wide open legs, Katniss panted and gasped for air collecting her strength for the next one, Peeta had lost most his finery clothing by now, only sitting on a thin white shirt with the sleeves rolled all the way up to his elbows, dark trousers and riding boots, had perched on the mattress across the bed's headboard, so Katniss' head and upper back could rest on his chest, and both her hands could grasp onto either his arm or his leg. He was not  comfortable in this position, but he really could care less, the love of his life was about to give him the greatest gift of all.

"Alright, Katniss, deep breaths, you are doing wonderful honey, I think this baby will be out fairly easily, just a few more pushes... I am going to be a grandmother!!!" Mrs. Everdeen broke her veneer of professionalism as she squealed in excitement. Katniss found it offensive that her mother was practically bouncing and clapping her hands in a perfectly accurate Prim impersonation, while she felt her body was being ripped apart.

As if on cue, another sharp pain hit her full force, and she actually yelled all kinds of expletives both at her Mother for being so cheerful and at Peeta for getting her pregnant and into this world of suffering. When Peeta’s startled eyes found Mrs. Everdeen's, she shrugged nonchalantly,

“ _ **I’ve heard worse,**_ ” she said almost as if it was normal to have her own daughter scream profanity at her, “Part of the job. At the Healing Center, when you have come to visit, I am sure,  _ **You’ve seen how people are, when someone they love is in pain**_... woman in labor are no much different,”

On the next contraction, Katniss pushed with all her might and her nails drew droplets of blood from Peeta's arm, she vaguely felt smugness at the thought that he would return to his _new wife_ baring the marks of his mistress on his flesh, immediately she felt a seething rage go through her at the thought, she should **not** be his mistress, she should be his goddamned wife! No time to dwell on it, another contraction, another push, another round of abusive language directed at every person in the room including a frightened looking Johanna, who was now acting as Mrs. Everdeen's assistant, hair in a tight bun, apron wearing and all, the new Dame _Hawthorne_ looked positively domestic and strangely it suited her.

"Yes! A couple more pushes sweetheart and it will be all done, the crown is out already, it will not take long for the rest of the baby's body to clear the birth canal!" Informed Mrs. Everdeen with a wide toothy smile, her eyes danced between her daughter's and Peeta's, Katniss growled something incoherent and Peeta beamed at his child's grandmother.

"You hear that babe? In a matter of minutes, we will have our baby in our arms! Is it not exciting?" He whispered in her ear, she could feel his giddiness, his longing, his pure excitement. She hated it!

"No! It is  NOT exciting! Not for me... I will go through all this pain and work and then I will be left with no reward and no prize at all! I will lose my child to Panem!" Her eyes filled with angry tears as her fears spilled all out in the open.

"Katniss, you listen to me right now," He held her face roughly in his hands and turned it so she had no other option than to stare into his determined, serious eyes, "I know you are frightened, and I know the future seems dark from where you stand, but, I have worked my ass off to ensure everything works out alright for us. I swore to you I would make it safe for you and our child and that I would take care of you with my own life... Trust me when I say, _everything is going to be alright_! Could you do that for me?" He spoke firmly and waited for her to nod her assent, he studied her face for a moment longer, and then kissed her lips tenderly "I love you, Katniss, please believe that" he begged against her lips, and she gave a small sob followed by another nod, she had no doubts about his love for her, but it was hard to believe that everything was going to work out in the end for the better when the knowledge that her brand new infant was going to be ripped away from her side as soon as it was out of her body and placed in the arms of some faceless mystery woman Peeta had married instead of her, deep down she knew, he was nothing but resourceful. She just had to wait and see what new surprises he had under his sleeves.

Beyond them, Mrs. Everdeen was practically singing orders to Cecilia and Johanna, the latter had been cussing up a storm since she happened to get an eye full of the baby crowning, she was muttering up and down that childbearing in general was worse than the plague, that she would NEVER be found in her friend's position... The whole process was barbaric in her eyes. Mrs. Everdeen threatened to stick her with a full vial of morphling if she did not calmed, which Johanna actually sat to ponder if she wanted or not, deciding that morphling would be the only way she would ever go through childbirth.

Another violent contraction hit the mother-to-be. She buried her face into Peeta's neck, and after a very hard push and a lot of gasping and grunting and Mrs. Everdeen’s urgent prompting and coaching, the pain was magically gone with one last screech of pain from Katniss... Suddenly, the room was filled with a shrill cry uttered by brand new lungs assaulted with fresh air for the very first time.

Out in that hallway, Gale had been pacing back and forth in front of the closed door. He was safely away from all the horrible sounds that were escaping from his best friend; he was relieved he did not have to actually witness all the gory events, but still, he was anxious. He did not remember when his mother had birthed Posy, but he was sure as hell he never wanted to be an expecting father. It sounded like a horrible experience, especially if someone that was usually as courteous and well-mannered as his Catnip had been in enough pain to call Peeta the names she had, he could not imagine the expletives Mason would come up with to insult _him_ were she ever fell heavy with his child... That was frightening enough to aid his resolve to never get his new bride pregnant. But as he reached this conclusion, the noises died, and the cries of new life pierced through the frantic and the tense atmosphere that had descended on DeLoach Manor. Gale froze in his spot and turned to face the door, a plethora of emotions surging through him like electric current. A few minutes passed, (or was it maybe hours? He could not tell...) a few of the knights and peacekeepers that had ridden out with Peeta were congregated at the mouth of the hallway, their expectant gazes glued to the door that refused to open and share its news.

Then, finally, the doorknob turned slowly. A disheveled looking Dame Hawthorne came out, wiping bloody hands on her once white apron, wearing on her features the broadest smile anyone had seen on her face including her husband, possibly ever. Gale's eyes bulged out pleadingly, his whole body stiff in anticipation, his wife looked at him and announced loudly,

"Let the people of the Kingdom know that this, the First day of September, at 4:25 in the morning, it was born to King Peter, a healthy, strong, beautiful child, Her Royal Highness, Princess Willow Grace, of the Royal House of Mellark! A new jewel to the Crown of Panem!" The cheers and hoots erupted at once, Gale called out the man he had appointed to run to the Capitol to make the announcement, other two messengers were dispatched to other points of interest in the kingdom, and yet two more were sent to Quattro and to Merch, his official duties completed, he returned to his vigil outside the royal family’s quarters.

Inside the room, Mrs. Everdeen was finishing the cleaning up the afterbirth, her instruments and other things that needed tidying up, checking her daughter's vitals, glancing longingly at the pink bundle in the King’s shaky hands.

Peeta sat in the bed with Katniss, his back resting on the unforgiving wooded headboard, legs twisted together and extended alongside Katniss' full length, his daughter wrapped in blankets sat with her tiny body on his forearms while his hands gently cupped her fragile little head... To his own eyes, his hands looked disproportionately big around such a delicate thing, he could not stop smiling down at his child, it mattered not that the babe was sound asleep and completely unaware of the man holding her in his arms gazing down at her like she was the most beautiful treasure in the world, he swore right then his hands would always protect her. Katniss was exhausted but also jittery, when the baby was finally pushed all the way out of her womb and into the world, she felt like her life had left her body with her, when she heard the high pitch of brand new lungs tasting the air for the very first time, she felt all the fears she had forgotten during the exertion of labor, crushed her, and when her mother announced the child to be a girl, she almost fainted with worry... None of that mattered when her mother placed the newborn on her heaving chest, still screaming and squirming from the harshness of the new world around her, Katniss gingerly touched the angry, looking infant, with her wrinkly body and goop covered pink skin, Peeta's hands uncharacteristically shaky, hovering over the baby, a sob rumbled in his chest and Katniss finally mustered up some courage to gently scoop the little thing in her arms.

The infant's impossibly tiny hand closed around her finger surprising her, and on instinct, the little scrunchy face rubbed against her chest rutting around with a seeking open mouth, Mrs. Everdeen cleaned her hands hastily, and came up to them making quick work of the ties keeping Katniss' nightgown closed liberating her breasts as the little girl opened her tiny mouth very wide and finally the child found that which she had been searching for and latched unto her mother's pert nipple, Katnniss' sobs joined Peeta’s as he whispered in awe,

"She is perfect!" Katniss wholeheartedly agreed, and leaned back on his chest heavily. He encircled them both in his warm embrace and kissing Katniss' temple in gratitude, whispered a soft "Thank You!" in her ear.

When her breasts had been laid out in the open, Katniss was horror stricken about the level of nakedness she was in whilst both her mother and Peeta were both in the same room at the same time, not to mentioned Johanna who was busy helping Cecilia clean up the mess of bloody rags, towels and sheets. She realized it was absurd feeling so exposed given the fact that she had just given birth and her child need to eat, there was nothing sexual about this, and she would have to get out of this gown soon and dispose of it anyway. Mrs. Everdeen seemed unfazed by any of her daughter's internal conflict, she was merely giving her instructions on how to cup her nipple to help the infant latch on properly, Peeta was quicker to understand her explanations and without even blushing, and to Katniss everlasting embarrassment, held the new mother's hand in his, and brought it to hold her breast mimicking the motions Mrs. Everdeen had just showed them. The baby was happily suckling on her mamma’s breast in no time at all, and for the life of her, Katniss still had no idea of what her mother had been talking about when she was showing her the correct way to place her index and middle fingers on her breast to keep from smothering her child's tiny face; annoyingly so, Peeta had grasp the idea instantly and without ANY kind of modesty or shame, placed his own fingers directly on her soft mound to show her. Katniss thought she would soon combust in embarrassment if she had not had been already preoccupied about the strangeness of having this tiny creature suck the life out her like this... the pain and pressure of breast feeding was completely unexpected and strangely mesmerizing.

"Well Brainless, it seems the little girl inherited your eating enthusiasm! Look at her go!" Johanna mused with a big grin watching the child fondly "She is so tiny, and her face quite comical, but I can honestly say I have never been as taken by a person as I am with her!" She said in a reverent tone a moment later, her grin softening.

"Hey! My daughter's face is not comical! Is beautiful! But I do concur with you Auntie Jo! She is the single most mesmerizing thing I have seen, outside her mommy!" Said Peeta with a stupidly big smile in his lips, he kissed Katniss' temple again. Katniss was speechless, and consumed in drinking in the small miracle that was her daughter...  HERS, it belonged to her _and_ Peeta, it was _their_ baby, and she was irreparably in love with this tiny person in her arms, naked and covered in a thin film of some bodily substance, but her mother's insisting prodding broke her out of her love filled trance.

"Majesty, have you decided on a name for the Royal Child?" asked Mrs. Everdeen, donning her Midwife-Healer persona once again.

"Grace" He said with conviction, his blue eyes fixated in his daughter. "For she is a favor granted by God Almighty that I did not deserve" Katniss snapped her face in his direction to look at him, he then gave her a sheepish smile. "Do you agree, my Lady?" He asked earnestly.

"It is a beautiful name, and I admit, with a more substantial meaning than the name I was about to propose if asked my opinion..." She let her words trail and hang in the air, he knew this tactic well enough, so he smiled at her sweetly and kissed her nose, he placed a hand on his child's head and willingly took the proffered bait.

"What other name shall we call our child, my love? She is allowed more than one, you know."

"Willow” although there was a soft question behind the utterance, there was no hesitation in her eyes. “It is a very pretty tree to look at, it's long limbs and leaves provide protection when you sit under them. They have medicinal value as well and my Father always said he would like to name his next girl after it, except, there was no next little girl for him." She said sadly, her voice small as if she regretted bringing it up at all, she had gotten the idea after waking from her lovely dream earlier that night, while the pain of her contractions was still bearable and far between. 

" _Willow_ , from the genus Salix... it certainly is pretty to look at, and has more than medicinal properties. Bees can produce pretty tasty honey from its pollen, and I personally am very partial to willow charcoal for my sketches." He raised one eyebrow at her, "Willow Grace Mellark, actually has a very sweet flow to it, won't you agree, my Lady?" He asked her seriously, then because she was just staring at him mutely, he added "If your Father approved of the name, I have no objections, after all I seem to remember we have already stablished, Mr. Everdeen was the clever one when it came to naming little girls!" They both smiled at the same time and the agreement had been reached.

 

======================

 

After the birth, Katniss had asked her mother and all the ones assisting her, for a moment alone with her child. She was still unsure of what the future had in store for them, but at that moment, when her little girl was so tiny and helpless in her arms, she discovered there was no greater love in the world than that she felt for the small creature in her embrace. She just wanted to take time for herself to study her daughter's little nails, and her long fingers that reminded her of Prim, _would Willow have a knack for healing?_ she wondered; she studied her baby’s face and her long dark eyelashes the length was definitely Peeta’s, but the coloring was hers, she smiled and hoped there were more blended features to be discovered in their daughter... the thought made a pang of sadness and anxiety hit her square in the stomach. This little thing in her arms that she just only met and had completely stolen her heart, would be leaving her soon to become some other woman’s child. To have a father that hopefully would tell her stories about the nice lady that... a bout of panic overwhelmed her for a moment, _would Willow be even told that she was born to another woman?_ She highly doubted it. But before her dark thoughts could go any further, the babe yawned lazily and whimpered pitifully, she had been fed, burped and clothed, her physical needs had been met but still she needed more... her mother knew exactly what her little princess needed to nudged her on in the direction of baby dreamland, she hummed a lullaby quietly while she caressed the tiny bald head of the newborn, she brought her up to nuzzle her cheek on her baby’s face, and the smell of new life filled her nostrils and her soul to the brim, she had done this very thing with Little Finn, but the feelings Willow had evoked in her were completely different to what she felt with baby Odair... this little miracle was hers! _Her daughter._.. at least for a while longer, and although the future was terrifying and uncertain, she decided to just enjoy her time with her child, there would be time later to obsess over the unknown, to be frightened by what could happen and what could be, for now, it was just the two of them and by golly she was going to pour all her love into this little vessel, marking her brand new skin with the care and love only her real mother could give her. Little by little, the words of the song that started as a hum, picked up crescendo, soon the mother’s voice filled up the chamber with sweet melody,

 

“ _Just close your eyes,_  
_the sun is going down,_  
_You’ll be alright,_  
_no one can hurt you now,_  
_come morning light,_  
_you and I’ll be safe and sound..._  
_Ooooh, Ooooh, Aaaah, Aaaah_  
_Ooooh, Ooooh, Aaaah, Aaaah..._  
_Just close your eyes,_  
_You’ll be alright,_  
_Come morning light,_  
_you and I’ll be safe and sound”_

 

The child was asleep within the first notes of the folky song, but all her mother could do to keep from sobbing on her tiny little frame, was to keep singing until her throat was raw, and by then, Mrs. Everdeen had taken the child and handed her over to her father to watch after. For the first time in ages, Katniss fell asleep with her head resting on her mother’s lap, her long healer fingers combing through her daughter’s long dark tresses, while singing to her a lullaby of her own. There is no greater pain than losing a child, but thank God for mothers.

 

==============================

 

Special contingencies were put in place after the birth of Princess Willow. A few selected people were allowed to visit the Royal Child, as she was dubbed before birth. So noon arrived the next day, and with it arrived proud Auntie Prim, Thom, Effie, Haymitch, Rue and the Odairs, the Hawthorne brood had arrived first thing in the morning since they lived the closest to DeLoach Manor, and had been hard at work helping in every which way they could, so was Clove, who at Cashmere's bequest was named partly Governess of the infant Princess; Peeta could not bring himself to take all the honor away from Effie, but as she would soon marry Haymitch and relocate to Seam, she would be with them only temporarily, so the need for a second governess was warranted.

Katniss was given a bath by her mother and Hazelle, assisted by Cecilia. By the time the rest of the well-wishers and family arrived, the new mother was roaming the manor freely, claiming she felt fine and lying in bed was possibly the most fastidious of activities in the world, it was akin to punishment in her book. Peeta on the other hand had yet to leave his daughter's temporary nursery. The flurry of activity around DeLoach manor was dizzying; Mr. Cinna and Mrs. Portia had sent trunks upon trunks filled with all kinds of infant clothing, blankets, bibs, bonnets, tiny mittens with matching socks and embroidered cloth diapers, so delicate Katniss felt almost sad to think they were destined to be soiled... Almost!

Prim had decided it was her duty as only aunt, to dress the baby in as many of the cute little outfits as she could fit her in for a day, Peeta only laughed indulgently while Katniss rolled her eyes and tried to shoo her sister away while she fed the screaming infant after she refused to cooperate and allow her arms into a tiny pink knitted cardigan that was just too adorable for words. The first day of life of Princess Willow had been a happy one, but the looming departure of the King, set to return to his palace at first light the next day, was an unpleasant multicolored, polka dotted, three thousand pound elephant in the middle of the room, Katniss pointedly refused to acknowledge. Nevertheless, there were things that needed to be discussed before the day was completely out, and the all-encompassing despair she had felt in the past few weeks was just one drop away from spilling everywhere drowning her in sorrow and fear.

She was sitting in a rocking chair that for all she knew, Peeta had brought with him from the Capitol, along the other furnishing pieces in the impromptu nursery. Willow Grace cozily nestled in her arms, not surprisingly feeding. Johanna was right, this child ate three times her body weight at every meal, same appetite Katniss had since an infant herself. Peeta who had finally gone to clean up himself, eat something and hold a number of quick meetings with his men, his friends, his advisors and even the women to be in charge of the care of Willow, strolled slowly into the nursery, crouching next to the rocking chair, he was at the perfect height to caress his baby's head and gaze at her contentedly.

"I was so afraid I was going to be late to see you enter this world, little one... I am sorry it took me so long to come back to you both." He was now looking into the grey silver eyes of the mother of his child, the intensity of his gaze threatening to overwhelm her, but what was new about that? "I am also sorry that I have to leave you both again, this time will only be for a little while. I need to go get things ready for my girls’ arrival at Court..." He said softly. She frowned, for many reasons,

"Are you allowing Willow to stay with me a bit longer then?" She asked pleadingly, his forehead creased at the question,

"Well, where would I take her without you? She needs her mother." His response made her angry, but she bit her tongue, she would not start an argument with him while her daughter was eating. She gently broke the suction seal of the infant's mouth on her breast, the little girl had been at it for at least thirty minutes already, and she could use a break, plus her tongue was burning to lash out at Peeta. She called Prim into the nursery to burp the baby and asked her to watch over her for a moment, she then directed Peeta to follow her away, up the stairs to the above floor. They entered a spare room at the very back of the hallway, and she pounced on him as soon as she heard the door click shut behind him.

"I appreciate the generosity of my Lord, the King; but I do not think it fair to the King's new spouse to have to suffer the ' _other woman_ ' in her house." Peeta seemed surprised by her angry outburst, but she plowed on before he could even blink his enchantingly confused blue eyes, "I accepted my fate long ago, my Lord, I am alright with it! You do not need to insist on having me around in this... manner... I do love you with all my being, Sire, but I refuse to go back to sharing your bed while you are married to another woman, I will not do that anymore! But, if you find it in your heart to grant me a wish, be it out of love or out of debt, I do have a petition to make... please, my liege, I will do anything you ask of me, including give up my freedom and become your servant... I would be grateful to you the rest if my days, if I am to be allowed to stay beside my child who I love more than life itself, just please, I beg of you do not ask me to be your mistress nor to see you as anything more than a friend whilst your loyalty has been pledge to another person... my heart would not be able to take such torture again..." Her voice that had drilled through harshly, cracked at the edges.  

"Katniss, I will not do such a thing, I could never use your body illicitly! I love _you_ and **only** _you_ , and this nonsense has gone on long enough. You will come to the palace with me and Willow Grace, because your place is in my life, in my house, and in my bed!" He said sharply, his face turning red with ever growing annoyance.

"Fine!" She shouted "If you are so unwilling to rescind of my company I will be forced to remove myself, as much as it will kill me I will let you both go, and drown in sorrow alone for all my troubles." She fished out the pocket of her apron a floppy eared stuffed bunny with a small green bow around its neck. Peeta's face was a poem of confusion and bewilderment and even anger. The tears she had been forcing back all day long finally spilled over her face, as she shoved the little toy into his chest before his floundering hands could grab a clumsy grip to it, his face was so twisted and creased up by now, it looked like a walnut, and she muttered only loud enough to be barely registered as she tried to rush past him towards the door "Give her this to remember me by, tell her that I loved her enough to let her have a healthy family. I will content myself with just being her wet nurse until you and the queen find yourselves a new one." She yanked the door open, but his hand slammed it back shut with such force, she jumped backwards and shrunk away from his now very displeased expression.

"Katniss Everdeen-Mellark, would you calm the fuck down for a minute and listen to... _Anybody_?" He growled fiercely into her wincing face, she stopped breathing and froze when he advanced on her menacingly "You, my Lady, did not read the documents you were presented with, the which terminated your contract as a lowly concubine nor even the document labeled _Marriage Contract_ that wedded us by proxy! Have you _any_ idea, how frustrating it was for Finn and Haymitch and myself when you refused to even look at what you were agreeing to?" He staggered away from her and pulled his hair with both hands in raw frustration before throwing them up in the air with an angry growl, he was not even looking at her while he ranted his distress at her obstinate ways, "If you would have just stopped and took the time to read a few lines, you would have saved yourself the grief of coming to such inaccurate conclusions... Katniss, I am so beyond angry with you right this second! You have to stop being so difficult, so stubborn and contrary! You belong to the people of Panem now, you cannot run off on your responsibilities to them, let alone your daughter and lastly to **me** : _Your Fucking. Lawfully. Wedded. Husband!_ It is bad enough that I have people angry at me for going ahead with the marriage by proxy to a commoner that was under house arrest, now I come to my wife and have her doubt every promise I ever made to her, to protect her, to make and honest woman out of Her! I swore to you I would move sky and earth itself to wed you properly, and to have you doubt my wo..."

"We are married?" She finally rasped incredulously, her throat raw and dry. He stopped mid-sentence, his pacing coming to an abrupt end, he finally turned around to look at her astonished face. Although no one was there to find their matching disheveled expressions amusing, they were indeed a sight to behold: his hair was standing comically in every which way for pulling on it so much, his arms limp at his sides while he stared at her open mouthed like he could just not understand her words; she did not look much better with her jaw practically dislocated, hanging open while her eyes where bigger than dinner plates and tears trickled down her chin, her fingers twisting in on the lace at the trim of the 3/4 sleeves of her blouse.

"Yes..." He dragged the word out slowly, eying her apprehensively, "It was not how I envisioned our wedding to come to be, you stuck in this place and me stuck in the palace... but it was the only viable way before Willow's impending arrival. I figured we would have a formal ceremony later on when your sentence is served in three weeks time and you are allowed out of this prison." He shifted his body weight from one foot to the other, and sighed tiredly, "I prayed the doctor's predictions were wrong, and Willow would hold on until then so you could give birth in the Capitol, but I guess your mother is right, children will do what they must, regardless of what is convenient for us adults."

"We-we are... We are Married? As in legally, husband and wife kind of married?" She asked again voice thick and dark and full of incredulity.

"Yes, Katniss... The very last page on the stack of documents you signed your name on so willy-nilly, was a marriage license"

"Why was I not informed?" She snapped. He shook his head, an angry smile on his lips and a groan of exasperation out of his mouth. She knew she was now being irrational, but she did not really cared.

"Finnick tried to! But you were being stubbornly uncooperative, and then Haymitch got pissed off and decided it would be a lesson to you." He said evenly.

"I am going to kill that man!" She gritted between clenched teeth and crossed her arms over her chest petulantly. Then she started tapping her foot completing the picture of childishness before his eyes... To his aggravation, He felt himself falling in love with _his wife_ all over again as she acted like a stubborn pig-headed brat, he was still too annoyed with her to allow his all-consuming longing for her, to win just yet.

"is that so? Well... I hope you are aware that as Queen, you are implicitly forbidden to harm another man purposefully unless under duress! By the way, this leads me to inform you that your trial was finally brought to a conclusion. The people of Panem love you so much, they threatened to start riots if you were not set free. Seeing as they were majority and no one wants a mob of peasants destroying the country over their heroine, they decided to... _Accommodate_ a change of charges in your favor; As it stands now, you were simply defending the well-being of the kingdom from a man that was incapacitated to rule due to mental illness." She snorted mirthlessly, and he understood and shared the sentiment. " _Mental illness_ , is how they are overlooking all his transgressions at any rate. You however, are forbidden to use a bow, but... We are working on that one as well." He winked at her at his last sentence. She was speechless for a moment. He added in a measured way "You will be considered to have served your sentence in three weeks, and then you will be brought to the Palace for your crowning... Then we will never separate again."

"Would you promise? Will you swear to stay with me for the rest of our lives?" She implored him.

"Always!" He opened his arms, and she ran into them willingly, tears falling freely from both their eyes, and at last... Peeta Mellark got to kiss his bride the way he had wanted to for ages.

 

====================

 

Three weeks came and went in a blur, and everyone in the Kingdom was impatiently awaiting the arrival of their Queen and Princess to their new home, in the Capitol Palace. Everything was decorated for the occasion, which it being the beginning of autumn, everything seemed to resemble more a Harvest Festival than anything else. People had been lining the streets of the Capitol since very early that day, and the King had been gracious enough to order little rolls of bread and barrels of ale and water to be dispersed amongst the people. When the bells of the high tower of the town church chimed its first loud 'dang' announcing it was ten o'clock the onlookers stood still, straining their necks or standing on the tip of their toes, to catch a glance of the royal carriage that was scheduled to roll down the streets at that precise hour; at the seventh chime, the hooves of horses resonated in the distance, everyone gasped collectively when finally the carriage rolled by windows open to the public, displaying the royal passengers. The cheers and applause were deafening, people screamed and chanted at the top of their lungs:

"LONG LIVE THE KING, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN, AND LONG LIVE THE ROYAL CHILD!"

Katniss felt humbled by the shows of affection of her people, and contrary to what she thought she would react, she did not hide, but proudly sat straighter and held Willow Grace facing forward so everyone could see her as they passed by.

The Coronation Ceremony was schedule for as soon as they descended the carriage, but when entering what they called the City Circle, which was a round plaza right in the middle of town and the Church right across from it, the carriage stopped. Katniss was confused, and fear shot straight through down her spine, she only relaxed when she saw a group of knights she knew very well marching towards her, they were all wearing their formal dress uniforms, the one they donned on special occasions. Gale, always taking his job seriously, opened the small door of the coach, and extended a hand for Katniss to hold on to while stepping down. Effie who had stayed with her since she arrived to DeLoach manor, took the child from her arms so she could get out of the small space safely.

"Your Royal Highness, welcome home... I am supposed to bring you inside the Chapel for your _Official_ wedding benediction, and then escort you to the Citadel for the Coronation." He said trying to keep his voice leveled but she could see the emotions bubbling in his steel grey eyes,

"Any other surprises I should be aware off?" She asked skewering him with a sharp glare.

"Highness, if I can be so bold as to suggest you take this up with his Majesty, I think you will get better results!" Said Johanna clearly amused from behind her husband... _Captain_... Husband-Captain! It was hard to keep them straight In her head sometimes.

"Oh believe me... I will!" Hissed Katniss through a smile she conjured up for the benefit of her onlooking subjects. They entered the church, and waiting for her at the first step of the altar, stood the man that had changed her life forever... _And would be the end of her!_ He smiled at her sheepishly and a bit shyly, but when her hand curled snugly into his, his demeanor changed into pure joy. At the sight of his blue eyes, and the way his handsome face shone under the sun light spilling through the stain-glass windows of the Church, all her annoyance at him evaporated instantly, he looked regal and beautiful with his thin golden circlet he wore as Crown over his wavy blond hair and his crisp white finery, it was a miracle she was still breathing, she realized she was not one bit scared of pledging her love, life and loyalty to him and by the way he was looking at her she knew he felt the same way. 

He could not stop gazing at her! She was as radiant as the sun. He had commissioned the services of mr. Cinna for the deep dandelion yellow dress his Queen was to donn for her triumphant return to the Capitol. He never imagine it was going to be this... Breathtaking! the fitted top hugged her newly acquired curves like a snug glove and the skirt was so ample he was sure, knowing her, she would want to make drapes out of it considering it a waste of perfectly useful fabric. But her smile, soft and sweet was what made his breath hitch and his throat dried, he loved her, simple as that, he would never regret committing his life to hers. Vowing fidelity to a spouse, was never easier nor sweeter.

 

======================

 

Many people were allowed to witness the ceremonies, the wedding and the coronation. Many artists, were hired to record both events for posterity, but only the Cardew brothers were licensed to actually photograph the events; their mother Fulvia Cardew, was given ownership of her newspaper after Peeta's reinstating acts, but her good friend, Lord Heavensbee persuaded her to let her sons Castor and Polux continuer to run it, as they had done a stupendous job on their own thus far. She nonetheless was invited to the crowning ceremony.

After all the noise from the hundreds of people that were allowed to come into the citadel to witness this historic occasion, she approached the royal family, that sat on unassuming thrones overseeing the festivities; Lady Clove sat on a smaller version of the thrones Peeta and Katniss occupied, with Willow Grace blissfully asleep in her arms, it was clear that Clove had developed an attachment to the infant somewhat similar to that of Prim. For now, she was happy to serve on nannying duties.

Madam Cardew and Lord Heavensbee vowed deeply before the monarchs. After introductions and niceties where shared, both people congratulated Katniss, for her coronation as Queen Consort of Panem and also her formal nuptials becoming a proper wife to the King, they spoke about politics and ideas they both had for subsequent news outlets, while in the middle of their amiable conversation, a Snow supporter, Justice Claudius Templesmith, decided to make the new Queen's acquaintance. He pompously introduced himself, as if he believed the new monarchs beneath him, his conversation stuck to mundane harmless topics, after welcoming the newcomer Queen to the radiant Capitol, to which she laughed musically.

"Forgive me your Honor, but, I was born and raised in the Capitol."

"My beloved wife knows the city like the back of her delicate hand," piped Peeta in proudly, he kissed her knuckles lightly and added with a laugh of his own, "In fact, I have never had a better guide during the few times we have ventured out in the merchant district on our own!"

"Is that so? I was under the impression Her Majesty was so underprivileged during her adolescence she had to _hunt_ her own sustenance" the word 'hunt' was delivered as if it offensive, the mean spirited barb did not cause the desired effect on the royal couple that Templesmith had hope for, calmly and with a wide smile, Katniss offered.

"I did, hunting is a noble sport that even the Kings of old enjoyed, I did it for very practical reasons and I am proud of the skill that was passed down to me from my late father. I also most say, I was blessed with a cordial business relationship with a number of merchants in town, I would trade my game for their wares and it was very profitable way of life for a teenage maiden. That said, I would have to stress that I would never wish other twelve, fourteen, sixteen year old children to have to go into the woods to procure themselves nourishment. I think my husband agrees that providing our most impoverished subjects with welfare will highly increase their quality of life and thus we will see improvement in all areas of our society, once we take care of those who can honestly not procure themselves a dignified job. But enough about myself! I am sure we will see you helping us achieve this dream of ours, your honor, to see a new, better tended Panem?" She asked and flashed him a bright smile that told him to not mess with her about her origins. Justice Templesmith was fuming but dared say nothing and contrary to reject her for fear of losing favor with people that might have overheard.

"Well said, Ma'am!" supplied Plutarch pleased, "I have always said that you have an admirable brain on your shoulders my Queen! I am sure that the Royal Child will be an indomitable force in adulthood! What with her mother's sharp sense and administrative skills, and her father's wit and sense of fairness, I can see a great personality in the making!"

"I suppose I could agree with you Lord Heavensbee, unfortunately the Royal Child is a _female_ , I do not dare doubt her worth as a Crown Jewel, but to bring stability to said Crown a _male_ heir would had been more suitable." He gave the Queen a condescending look, as if she had given birth to a faulty product instead of a Princess of Panem. Katniss was fuming! She was about to open her mouth to unleash all her fury on the impudent man, when Madam Cardew spoke in an almost bored tone, her eyes however, said different.

"May I point out your Honor, the Queen is just under the age of twenty! Why, she has years upon years ahead of herself in which she could provide not only one, but _many_ a male heir to the throne. I for one, think that the Princess is a delightful addition to the royal house which had been dried up, withered and excessively poorly managed. Too many... ' _Roosters in the coop'_  if I am permitted to say?" She flashed the man a very unfriendly glance, and saw that her words had cause an effect on him.

"Well, I never..."

"But you will!" Cut Peeta with ice in his voice, eyes sharply searing the man in front of him, "I will suggest for now on you simply smile and lend your unwavering support to the valiant women of our beloved kingdom... Your Honor,  the Royal Princess might be the first in a house full of heirs if the gods bless me as Madam Cardew has so generously suggested, but then again, life is unpredictable. Who is to say that with time laws change in this kingdom, and a Queen Regnant succeeds to sit in the throne in my stead? Just because a child is a female, does not mean that her worth is only equal to that of ornaments... I will suggest do not ever underestimate the worth of any little girls, your honor... Specially when that little girl is **my** child... _your_ **Royal Princess**!" Peeta did not have to reach far to pull of menacing King. Templesmith simply blanched and stood there stupidly not even registering he had just been harshly dismissed by the new King.

"I personally believe, it is time to break with tradition!" Boomed Heavensbee jovially "It is time to tear down those gender separations, unify the people with equality! I publicly support the law changes that I know His Majesty will be implementing in due time, and since we are discussing the point here, your Honor, let me introduce you to other advocates of the cause, they will be happy to see, you, are a supporter as well! Come with me his way, sir!" Placing a commanding hand on the judge's shoulder Plutarch smoothly guided him away from Peeta and Katniss, right after bowing cordially to the King and Queen; Madam Cardew did the same and flashed the Queen a smirk that said without words, that they would take care of the offensive jackass. Sadly, this was just but the first of this judgmental encounters with supporters of Peeta's predecessor. 

 

=====================

 

It was very late when the new Queen was finally comfortably seated in her luxurious chambers feeding her child in the quiet of the night. She was exhausted after a day of traveling and parading herself in front of the people of Panem, not to mention Her own official wedding to the love of her life and a Crowning ceremony. Most of her subjects loved and admired her, but Claudius Templesmith and his infuriating comments had not been the only exception to the rule by a long shot. She had seen the way some of the older gentlemen from Court had looked at her daughter with barely hidden disappointment, it rubbed her the wrong way, and at first made her angry. Peeta was angry too, but after one similar comment to the one Templesmith had said, he simply said that their only concern was to keep a clean nose, for soon an audit would come to the men forming all Chambers of the different branches of the government, and he had plan to bring his gender equality act to _all_ areas of government, so deserving women could be part of the different chambers, he coldly made good use of Madam Cardew's 'too many roosters' analogy.

Willow's little fine face had changed so much in the last three weeks since her birth, it was just amazing. She was all pink cheeks and chubby legs and arms, she had been practically bald when she was born, but now her little round head was covered in downy light brown fuzz. She opened her eyes sporadically whilst awake, she was a very lazy baby, always wanting to be asleep, waking for meals and nothing else. Her eyes were a murky bluish grey that resembled no one in particular. Peeta kept his fingers crossed for grey eyes, while Katniss shook her head and said she would have her daddy's eyes, because that was the feature she loved most about her husband... Other than parts no one else should ever see, but her alone!

"Is she ready to go bed? I love our child to death and I have truly missed her, but, I have not had a chance to be alone with my wife in... _Ever_!" She looked at him; he stood smiling leaning on the door frame to the little nursery adjacent to their bedchamber. Mrs. Everdeen and Prim were staying in next room over, and were supposed to be on babysitting duty for the rest of the night, and this being their official “wedding night” and all, they had procured a wet nurse for the night as well. Katniss decided early on, that she wanted to be the one to feed Willow when it wasn't strictly necessary that she allowed someone else to nurse her. Peeta agreed of course, this was actually one of those privileges he admittedly was envious that his wife was able to do and he was not.

"She will sleep like a little rock for the next two hours, then she will wake the whole palace!" She smiled down at her baby. Peeta gently lifted her up from her mother's arms, and cradled her with the outmost care.

"You know? Those mean men today, made me realized that I truly am happy you were born a little girl!" He told his slumbering child, as he rocked her in his arms, while slowly inching to her crib to lay her to sleep.

"How so, my Lord? I myself was terrified she was born a girl... females are at the very last link in the food chain of our society, they can be traded like merchandise, they can be..." He stopped his wife, with a finger raised to his lips and a soft shsss.

"Not so loud, love, Willow is sleeping!" He whispered while his proud eyes admired his child placidly. He left a feathery kiss on the little girl’s forehead, Katniss stared at him taken aback, he has never done anything like that before, but stopped her frantic yammering, and he went back to rock the baby cooing at her lovingly " _Oh! You were not what was desired by the politicians, but that makes you no less dear to me. A boy would have been the Son of Panem, but you, Willow Grace, shall be only ours._ " He kissed the crown of his daughter's tiny head, and laid her on her soft comfy bed. Pulling over her tiny form, one of the many little blankets the women in his life had knitted for his child, he took his wife's hand in his and rushed her to their own bedchamber.

He had secured the door shut, and Katniss had gone to her new vanity. She was in the process of undoing her intricate braided up-do to brush her hair out before getting into bed, when she noticed he was still resting his back against the double doors to their extravagant new lodgings. Peeta had made sure to redecorate everything in most of the palace while she was away. This particular room, had been the one he had focused in the most effort, he even had it tear down and remodeled. No trace of his predecessor was left standing, which was an incredible feat, seeing as Coriolanus Snow had reigned for over forty years before him.

She suddenly felt her body break out in goosebumps, her eyes cut sharply at him through her looking glass, his eyes told her she was his prey once again; she turned slowly in her stool to watch him deliberately stalk her, she pressed her thighs shut involuntarily, for in the months since being under arrest, she had felt her libido match that of a garden rock, but, now that he was looking at her like she was his next meal, she felt her whole body tremble at the sight of his dark pupils devouring her alive.

"Majesty..." She mumbled inefficiently, while her stomach bottomed out.

"It seems that you keep forgetting all the promises I have made to you, my Queen." He said darkly, letting his eyes roam dangerously down her shivering form. She had already changed out of her dandelion yellow gown and into a gossamer nightgown the caressed her skin deliciously... All her nerves had awaken suddenly, and she was feeling the warmth spreading from chest outward.

"I... I am not sure what that comment refers too, Sire." Even her voice quivered.

"I promised you I would make Panem a safe place for our children to live in and after all the previous promises I have kept and made come true for you, my Lady, you still doubt my word." He said plainly, no real anger in there, but dangerous nonetheless.

"Not at all my Lord! Never! I swear" she assured him hastily, standing up from her low pouf.

"I do not know, my Lady, you still seem... doubtful. I might have to show you with more actions I can stay true to my word and deliver what I have promised..." His voice was so gruff, once more her legs reacted. He did not miss the motion and looked at a point hidden underneath her nightclothes where her pleasure pooled, and he took a step closer to her, and with only his index fingers, eased her sleeping robe off her shoulders until it fell to the floor. She shivered nervously, her face flushing all shades of crimson, he was so turned on by her reaction to his advances, he could hardly contain himself.

"M-my Liege... I do trust you... I-I know you will always come through. You are a very good man, a man of your word... There is no need to prove anything..."

"Oh but there is, ma'am... So, here is what it is going to happen..." He said softly into her ear, before sucking her lobe into his warm mouth and that was all it took for her knees to give out. Her eyes shut tightly and her breathing coming in erratically, he spoke again, backing her against their four poster bed he had brought in from Winter Home. The bed in which he had made her his for the first time, where they created life together, where he hoped to create many more lives again. "I promised you madam, first, I am going to relieve you of this stuffy nightgown. Then, I am going to kiss every inch of your body slowly, and when I have had my fill, I will make you sing my name over and over and over like you did before you were ripped away from me... How is that for a promise?" His voice sensually low in her ear canal Rendered her dizzy.  

"Sire... I am not supposed to be engaging in intercourse for a few more weeks..." Her voice was so weak and needy she knew all it was doing was just egging him on.

"Oh, I know darling... My _mother-in-law_ reminded me of that little nuisance a few hundred times just before she excused herself to bed." He chuckled against her throat and she gasped digging her fingers into his harden shoulders. “and please dispense with the formalities, I am your husband now, remember? Peeta will suffice” she blushed and stuttered a hasty response.

"I-I know, it is just... I cannot quite believe it, and that you are... How... how do you...?"

"I do not need to penetrate you with my cock to make you come Katniss..." She trembled with a want she had not felt since they had been separated, she was all too aware of the way her body was reacting to her husband, and exhaled a breath she had been repressing. He slipped her nightgown down her body slowly, until she was bare before him, she squirmed trying to cover herself up, she still had not shed off the weight she had gained while with child, her breasts were tender and discolored still and the skin around her midsection was sagging, her once unblemished skin was now littered with stretch marks. She felt anything but appealing, but the way he was looking at her naked body told her none of that mattered to him, he would always see her as a beautiful piece of art, no matter the new imperfections she collected in the future, because now she was sure she would give him as many heirs as he wanted... “You are stunning, my love... do not hide the body that worked so hard to deliver me the most precious gift a man could ever ask for...” he whispered into her ear, while caressing her tender breasts softly.

“Peetaaaah...” She sighed breathily, “What is it do you plan to do to me?”

He chuckled, “Oh Katniss, my love! I would say, first, I will put you somewhere you cannot _ever_ get hurt again, second, I will let my primitive genetic code take over, because every time I set eyes on you, bare and ready for me, I feel this animalistic instinct to toss you on your back and eat your sweet arousal.” He kissed the shell of her ear and then nuzzled his face into her neck, while she struggled to keep a regulated breathing pattern. “I have been thinking about tasting you again the whole day to be honest, I will gladly lap at your royal cunt for the rest of my life my Queen, but in a few weeks, I _promise_ it will be my manhood claiming you once again...” he let his fingers slip between her thighs and she gasped as her legs parted to made room for him of their own accord, “I cannot wait to officially consummate our marriage, until then, my love... Let my tongue give you the _Queen_ _treatment_." and just like that he was on his knees, the tip of her left foot toes bracing her on his shoulder to keep her in an upright position, and his mouth latched to the one part of her body that would forever more belong only to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quote from Catching Fire in italics/bold. Other italicized or bolden words for emphasis. 
> 
> Lyrics of 'Safe & Sound' by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, from the album The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond, 2012.l, in italics.
> 
> Peeta's words to Willow Grace, telling her he's glad she's a girl tweaked from quote borrowed from the 2006 film 'Marie Antoinette' starring Kirsten Dunst. In the movie, the Queen of France says this words to her first born, also a daughter.
> 
> Queen Regnant vs Queen Consort: Regnant is the queen that rules on her own rights and has sovereign powers over her people, (I.e: Elizabeth II of England) a Consort is the Queen who is married to a reigning King, sharing his title but not his sovereign powers (I.e: Marie-Antoinette, consort to Louis XVI of France) A Queen Regent is not to be confused with a regnant one, a regent only rules temporarily in the stead of a monarch, usually a child (guardian/mother to a child monarch). A Queen Regnant's consort is not usually called 'King Consort', the husband of a Queen regnant is usually given the title of 'Prince' or Prince Consort (I.e: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort to Elizabeth II of England) 
> 
> So, this is it boys and girls! We have come to the end of the line! It was a very fun, fulfilling ride! Thank you for coming along with me, and supporting The Concubine, you guys rule! 
> 
> I apologize for this lengthy chapter, but it was throw everything in or chop it half, and I really didn't wanna add another chapter. Hope it was alright. 
> 
> Epilogue to be posted in the next couple of days, stay tune!
> 
> As always... Be kind, review! Leave me a comment here or come see me at my still brand new tumblr: alliswell21! Love you all, now go read my new WIP 'A Pixie for the Mellark Children'


	28. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> A very special thanks to abk1973, who beta this whole story (except the first couple of chapters) and improved it! I am really thankful for your time and for letting me borrow Devlin! You are an amazing writer and I love your skills!
> 
> Thank you so very, very much to loving_mellark for the beautiful banner she created and gifted me for this story, you are a very talented artist A! 
> 
> And to you, my reader, thank you for coming along in this journey with me, it truly meant a lot to have your support, if you contributed to the 400+ comments in this fic, let me tell you that I loved hearing from you, as the readers your opinions matter, you are the ones that encourage the writers to keep going and making great stories! Thank you guys, if you are the silent ones, please know that just seeing the "Hits" count roll larger is the biggest complement a writer can get, thanks for checking on the story, and if ever you have anything to say (does not have to be a complement, it can be constructive criticism) your voice will always be valued! This epilogue is for all you that have followed The Concubine until the end! Enjoy!
> 
> The following text is a change in dynamic, hope you like it!  
> May the Odds be Ever in YOUR favor!

My name is Katniss Mellark; I am twenty nine years of age, I am Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Panem. I married the most wonderful man in all of history and I am the proud mother of two royal angels: Willow Grace and Ryen Birch... For now!

I smile to myself thinking this over as I make my way through the gravel path leading to the stables in our family farm.

The path is a recent addition to our beloved Winter Home. if I would have gotten my way, it would all still be made out of dirt, but as life has taught me, change is not all so bad when progress comes knocking on your door, either way, it is usually futile to try and resist it, you would only wear yourself ragged if you try... or so my husband likes to recite... _My husband_... I send a thankful prayer to the Goddess Fortuna for the unlikely blessing that is my husband, King Peter. He is one of the most generous, kind, fair, and wise people I know. Sometimes I cannot believe my luck. There was a time when I allowed my pessimistic nature, convinced myself that the odds would never be in favor of us ever having a happily ever after end; I had always been accused of having a stubborn head on top of my shoulders, as it turns out, my husband is infinitely more stubborn that I am, in contrast to me, with his ever enduring optimism and his always present persistence, he forced the odds to stay on our side, until we got our fairy tale ending! I have to pinch myself to make sure this is my life and I am not just dreaming it... Thinking about the man I married ten years ago, still does things to me: butterflies flutter in the pit of my stomach, my heart rate increases and the sensation of giddiness that spreads deep in my chest is exhilarating. It has not been an easy ten years by any stretch, but it has been a wonderful life regardless the unsavory times.

We started on very rocky ground when we first met, our unconventional beginnings troublesome at best,  but with hard work, love, mutual respect and the support of many of our loved ones, we finally made a warm and happy home... and I do not mean the ostentatious Palace we are required to live in half the year while in the Capitol, or the mansion our beloved Winter Home and it’s grounds has become, I refer to our solid family bonds, that did not come easily to us; we fought very hard for nonetheless. 

A few years into his rule as King, we, Peeta and I, decided Panem needed a reformed way of government; after many hurdles and obstacles that the last few supporters of Coriolanus Snow threw at us we were finally allowed to explored the different venues of organized government. As much as I personally would have loved to go straight to a Democracy, our people just were not ready for such a long leap... not that I would ever do anything contrary to my husband's edicts as sovereign monarch, but, when he started to let the idea of simply dissolving the monarchy and go on living in our little corner of paradise here in Merch, cloud his mind, I had to put my foot down and show him reason! Abdicating was not an option! There was no way in hell we would have _ever_ let our beloved Panem fall into unscrupulous hands again. As long as we could help it, we were not going back to the dark ages, but I have to say, trying to transition an authoritarian monarchy into more of a republic model, with a Prime Minister elected by the public and lessening the intrusion of the crown's interests in state's matters, was an enormous undertaking. Peeta needed all the help he could get, and he got it in me... He has always said that he admires my managing skills and the way I do business, he has remarked time and again how much he values my opinion in all matters, state or personal, and the easy communication between us we achieved through years of companionship and our respect for one another, made us a very efficient team. But, all credit for our flourished economy, improvement of the our peoples quality of life, and an all-around blooming of different sectors of our work force, is not solely ours; we had countless other consultants and advisors, some we retained from the previous King, the ones that were honest and open minded and had been underutilized by the Snow regime, others that can be counted on were the Odairs, Cardews, Lord Heavensbee, the Abernathys and the newest addition to our cabinet, Lady Paylor, who is the first female Prime Minister in the history of Panem... We all agree with Lord Heavensbee, though... Democracy is the next big step for our country, but for now, as King and Queen, Peeta and I will do as much good as we can.

As get closer to the front doors to the new stable (another new addition to Winter Home) I can see movement inside, there are a few people there, some seem to be working and others just appear to be standing stationary. The closer I am though, the more I can distinguish their voices... the obnoxious cackle of Dame Hawthorne drifts to me from the other side of the closed tinted window panes, and I smile thinking about the reasons we had to expand the stables in the first place; nothing had been wrong with the original, but with so many children in the family and no sight of ending the addition of more of them (and I must add, mostly half our army of children responded to the surname of Hawthorne) we needed more horses, and more goats, and more pigs... and so on and so forth. The children always wanted to be petting them, or brushing their coats, and on spring begged to help with the sheers as we relieved the sheep from their wool, the kids just wanted to be close to farm animals, so we decided more room yo house more of them was needed, thus the addition of new stables and barns.

Standing at the main entrance, I inch the heavy doors slowly open, and peek inside the very large corridor. I can see that although the place is bustling with noises, there are only a handful of people gathered in the sunlit space.

Indeed, Thom, my now Brother-in-Law is one of the few people making himself useful by pulling hay bales from one stall to the next, while the rest of company just merely lean on the thick beams holding up the roof of the stable, while jesting and making small conversation. I scan the open space trying to locate the mop of blond hair that belongs to my husband, in the sea of dark heads. It finally rises up from behind a stall half-wall, and I cannot help but to grin at the sight of him.

My husband, _the King_ , looks anything but like royalty! He is donning his worn and slightly tattered work clothes, holding a pitchfork in his strong right hand while wiping away the hair and sweat sticking to his forehead with the rag he holds in his left. **That** is the Peeta Mellark I met all those years ago, the one that stole my heart very much against my wishes. I purse my lips at the memory of how _this_  particular Peeta, allowed me to believe he was merely a farm hand and not the very famous _Duke of Merch_. Now that I know exactly who he is, I cannot help but think that he looks regal still in rags; there is no denying, that for me, this is how I prefer him: filthy with the dirt and sweat residue of a day's of hard work in the farm... I sit there for long moment, watching the sun that filters through the open windows lining the east side wall, fall over his head beautifully, the sun rays make it shine like a halo of golden hair... Well, more accurately, the golden color of his hair is beginning to defuse at the sideburns and at the base of his nape, there is a dusting of silvery hairs peppering the sides of his head and on the part right above his neck, the hint of mature age is even more noticeable. He turns to respond to Johanna who undoubtedly just proffered some crude remark, and smiles; My heart stutters as I lay eyes on that smile, it matters not if his hair is greying, my heart still pounds in my chest like it used to do when I first met him all those years ago, nonetheless... At forty one years old, Peter Mellark is a finer male specimen than any muscular youth I have ever seen in my entire life. And although I might be biased in this sentiment, I doubt my perception is completely warped; the man is as fit, trim, and virile as he ever was, his broad shoulders and stocky built are testament of his strength and fitness, but his facial features are a sight that makes every woman in Court swoon. And although I know only I am the recipient of certain looks and smiles from him, this does not change the fact that one of his benign smiles could land him into trouble with the younger ladies that get confused by his niceness, some perceive it as something it is not.

There had even been two or three disastrous attempts from stupidly bold maids that have tried to sneak into the royal chambers with unlady like intentions. But, ever since the winter of his thirtieth birthday, I am the only woman blessed enough to enjoy the very well-endowed male appendage of my husband, and I take great pride in saying, he affirms rather emphatically, he has never been more satisfied sexually and/or emotionally!

This is not to say I have always been easily convinced or even mollified by this proclamations, although I implicitly trust his word is the truth now in my older life, in our early years of marriage I had a terrible time keeping my jealous nature under control, which was usually exacerbated by the lack of self worth I battled with during my adolescence. Over the years, I grew out of my insecurities and finally developed a certain second skin of sorts to deal with women that stared too long at _my_ Peeta. I guess I have to thank my female family and friends for that; they were the best tough love school on ‘ _how to see and weed-out real threat from imagined chaos and deceptions_ ’ in that department.

My 'support system' concurred that my unrestrained jealousy, was a situation in which my closest friends should intervene, so they did... My baby sister's mockery was the first attempt at tough love, then she introduced her very sound logic that Peeta had spent so much time and energy to woo me into falling for him, then gone to unfathomable lengths to save me in multiple ways and occasions, and lastly convinced me to be his wife, to then simply cheat on me with a girl that would not cost him a thing to get, was just an absurd and unlikely notion. Then add Lady Odair’s constant suggestions of “Ignore them dear!” every time a new maiden batted her lashes at him shamelessly, and rounding up the effort, enter my best lady friend the retired Dame Hawthorne, she usually disagreed with Annie though, her advise was always for me to just flaunt my ownership on the King's affections no matter who was watching. Finally all this snapped me out of my jealous bouts and helped me built immunity.

But, Johanna's advices had never failed me in the past, especially when it came to my physical relationship with my husband, and putting the latest one in action was incredibly tempting, so one time, when another of those snooty bitches dared look at _my man_ for more that it was warranted, I simply smirked and discreetly took his hand into mine, caressing him softly, until he turned his gaze on me... it only took a suggestive smile and I had him squirming in his throne... He got hard so fast, he had to cancel his daily audience session with his subjects for the rest of the day, instead he spent the rest of his time licking my lady parts clean from my copious arousal, followed by a session of hard pounding deep into my warmth with unrestraint abandon. But, by the third time of me using this tactic on him, he had caught on. Having to explain to him the reasons behind my reprehensible behavior,was mortifyingly embarrassing, I did make a case explaining to him that in my mind this was my way to claim him as mine. Peeta knew I needed to vent out my frustrations, my worries and my jealousy issues somehow, and as usual he was incredibly understanding when I came clean... understanding and more then just a bit smug! He did insist we had to talk those issues out, and we got through them, like any other problem in our marriage: Together... as a unified team.

 _A unified team_ is how our people have always view us as, and is more than likely the reason why they trust us so implicitly to run this kingdom. Commoners, peasants and nobility alike, had found that their King and Queen are always available to hear them. Peeta opened daily dialogues with the people immediately after being crowned King. Everyone, rich or poor was allowed to come to these 'Panem Public Meetings' and simply voiced their opinions, ideas, or concerns, and all would be paid due attention regardless of age, gender or social standing. Many good things came from these meetings. They became so popular, people started coming from all corners of the kingdom, this prompted Peeta to start touring the districts and having 'District Meetings', which then opened up the idea of each district having their own small government. They would elect representatives to bring their problems and needs and worries up to the King, and most of this representatives were already noblemen. When finally reaching District Twelve's region of Merch, the people voiced their questions about the Duchy; since it had been left vacant, because Peeta could not be Duke and King at the same time, it was unheard of monarchs retaining lesser titles once they were crowned. The people on district 12, especially in Merch, used to love their Duke, they worried about what would happen to Winter Home and the Healing Center, since they were symbols of prosperity in their region. But then, one Devlin Cartwright, shoe shop keeper, proposed we kept the Duchy under its current family crest instead of giving it to some new family, keeping a duchy in a royal family was actually not unheard of, they would just pass it down to Mellark children that were not slated to become ruler. So, naturally, the former Duke of Merch smiled broadly at the shop keeper, and said with an indulgent tone in his voice, that he was right! And the new 'Duchess of Merch' would come to Winter Home, come autumn. So, that October, Princess Willow Grace Mellark, and her royal parents, started to make twelve their winter time residency, away from the Capitol Palace. The people that made Seam and Merch special to former duke pushed for an expansion and remodel of Winter Home, as it now served as official Royal dwelling for five months out of the year. This was all happened in time to witness Devlin take the housemaid Leevy for a bride, with the Royal family as their humble guests! 

Merch has always been Peeta’s home, and after my initial time in Winter Home as his Concubine, it became my own, so it was only natural that we would name it our chief residence outside of the Palace. As private people, we have not change all that much, we still use the barn at Winter Home as the place of gathering for our tight group of family and friends to celebrate certain festivities. This place holds so many beloved memories to everyone, it was logical we just improve on its upkeep. At the end, the place old barn was transformed into a party hall, it just a perfect place for a wedding... My sister's wedding to be exact. Prim and Thom celebrated their reception in the 'party' barn after the ceremony had been held in the town chapel, just like any other couple's. 

You see, seeing Leevy and Devlin wed, made both Prim and Thom become restless; so on her seventeenth birthday, my beloved baby sister, Primrose Everdeen, became Primrose Homes... To our Mother’s chagrin, Prim cunningly made use of her well-earned emancipation powers for this end; Peeta had hinted at this obvious loophole in the legal agreement for so long, no one actual thought the love-birds would take it seriously, but Peeta explained later, this possibility was the reason why he had acquiesced to signed the permit for her marriage as an underage maiden to King Coriolanus back on that awful night, it would have never been valid, because Peeta had no real legal authority over her; she was technically allowed to wed anyone when she wanted to, and when she chose to wed Thomas Homes, she did so in a wedding more majestic than my own coronation, regardless of the small venue of the town chapel and the humble barn, there had been no expense spared, food and drink and cakes abound, there flowers in all the street lightposts around town, every corner of the church and the barn were filled to the brim with all kinds of primroses, lilies, katniss flowers and baby-breaths... After all it was Peeta's _Primy_ getting married to his beloved Thom, who was like a brother to him... My husband has never batted an eye at recognizing his inability to say 'no' to either of us Everdeen women, not even the tiny ones!

The festivities for Prim and Thom’s marriage went on for days and the whole kingdom got one day of feasts to celebrate with them. Prim got pregnant that very same week, which made Mother rage and rant for almost the whole pregnancy, because, unlike me, Prim had the correct knowledge and ample access to effective contraceptives, and _chose_ to make use of none of them. Mother was so beyond angry at Prim’s disregard for precautions, that only holding my chubby cherub of a nephew nestled in her arms finally shut her up. Prim and Thom have only added members to their brood in the last few years, they have one boy, Cole, their first born, followed by Lily and Lavender, who were born measly nineteen months from each other.

While I reminisce about our lives, I can see from my spot at the semi opened gates, the people standing by my husband. They are all laughing at some joke I just cannot hear from where I am spying  them... Johanna’s laughter is so loud and aggravating, it is impossible to mistake for anyone else's, I can see Gale just shaking his head and giving his wife a rueful smile.

Now, the Hawthornes, is a family that apparently have never heard of the concept of birth control, or at the very least, if they indeed have heard of it, they scornfully and deliberately ignore it. Lady Johanna Hawthorne has popped out five children in the last nine years, granted their first born children: Ashley and Cinderley are identical, ax throwing twins. They are a beautiful combination of their parents... Minus the filthy mouths, which Gale, disapproves of. All Hawthorne babies are just too adorable for words, be them Johanna and Gale's or Rory's. Gale has proved to be an amazing husband and father, and Johanna is a disciplinarian kind of mother, but does an extremely well done job at balancing discipline with bouts of overwhelming affection.

We were all surprised by her when she gracefully stepped down from her post as a knight the day she found out she was with child. Peeta, of course, insisted on giving her a honorable discharge from the corps, so it was a big to do when she finally hanged up for good her ax and dagger on the wall of the knights' quarters back in the Capitol. That day three women took the Oath of the knights, replacing the void left behind by the one and only Dame Mason.

For the rest of the Hawthornes, all I have to report is that Hazelle is as warm and caring a mother and grandmother as ever, she has retired from her business as a launderess, and lives comfortably in a small cottage closed by my mother's here in Twelve. Vick joined the Knights as soon as he was of age, married a pretty Lady, daughter of some nobleman in the Capitol, and are now expecting their first child together. 

Rory fell in love with Rue during the dark times of the kidnapping of Prim. As my sister's best friends, they suffered those stressful, scary days together, bonding over their fears of losing such a dear part of their life. He developed feelings for Rue, only voicing them after he had become an accountant under the tutelage of Baroness Odair. Rue on the other hand, learnt Healing from my mother and sister. She never worked as a housemaid after the awful time of the kidnapping, and became very accomplished as a healer and apothecary. After Rory proposed to Rue and her subsequent acceptance, Mother decided to retire and become a full time grandmother, Prim had given birth to another cherubic babe, and I was just learning I had become pregnant for the second time; Mother, with the support of the King, passed the Healing Center down to Rue and Rory Hawthorne to run, and they have done such a exceptional job, it is now a full-fledged hospital, with many doctors, nurses and specialists.

But poor Posy was dealt the hardest hand on the Hawthorne lot. She is a beautiful young lady; many compare her beauty to mine at her age, not that I fancy myself a beautiful woman, but I have learned to appreciate my own appearance, I still believe Posy is more beautiful than I ever was, unlike me, Posy never suffered hunger or worried about how to survive, she was well nourished and grew up to be a shapely and fit maiden, with long dark hair and mercury color eyes. But putting aside her being blessed with handsome features, she has had the hardest time finding a young lad to court her. All the boys her age feel intimidated by her brothers, honestly, I would be too, one of them being Captain of the Knights, the other a hardened Knight himself, the middle brother although sweet as spun sugar, just simply inherited the Hawthorne girth and intimidating hight which is enough to keep would-be suitors at bay, without taking into the account, a sister-in-law that would give any man a headache with an ax well placed between his eyebrows if he slips, and a very disagreeable Earl of Seam, as honorary Uncle... and then to top it all off, they would all have to be approved by the King himself before they can even proceed to approach the maiden... poor thing will not wed until she is forty, or until a brave valiant man decides she is worth the risk of being tortured under such scrutiny. Sometimes I worry about this being my own little girl's fate, and then decide no boy will ever be good enough for her anyway, so I banish the tought.

Now, Earl and Countess Abernathy as a unit are not bad at all... although they come and go as they please, and are unpredictable in their visits. They always seem to be in a perennial honeymoon, which I guess should be sweet, coming from ‘Uncle Haymitch and Aunt Effie’. After their wedding, it took everyone almost a month to actually see their faces in public again, which it would not have been any problem at all, if it was not that Effie’s absence was driving Peeta insane with anxiety, he had never been away from his _mother_ for such a long period of time before, and she had to chide him about it when she finally resurfaced, saying that he was a married man now, with a child of his own, and it was now his wife’s turn to baby him... plus her own child. Needless to say, that whole conversation did not bode very well with me, I was a brand new mother to Willow, and I was not about to _baby_ my own grown ass husband, not with the way he usually fucked me behind closed doors! Uncle Haymitch simply laughed it off and made light of the situation, he had grown adept at managing me in my rages. Effie and Haymitch come to stay with us periodically and dote on their _grandchildren_ (Peeta will not allowed them other titles), after Willow Grace learned how to crawl and neither of them were there to witness it, they decided staying away from the child too long was out of the question, so they gracefully accepted their role as honorary grandparents.

I hear Finnick's soothing voice interrupt the uproarious laughter of Johanna while I spy on them, He and Annie are possibly the people Panem owes the most to! The abolition of concubinage and slavery laws came swiftly with Peeta's crowning; it was possibly the most unpopular phases of his reformation, but one he was not willing to compromise.

Bigamy was outlawed as well, although it was never really permitted in the kingdom, it was written specifically into the law just in case, along with a better definition of what a concubine actually is. Other changes came in quick waves, women's rights and autonomy, divorce laws, fair trails for certain offenses, laws to protect children's rights were also drawn, no one would ever be able to take away something that was a birth right from a child because of gender. It was a new era, full of changes, and most this changes came under the legal advice of Baron Odair, who is now one of the most renowned lawyers in the country, but he is as humble and grateful with his lot in life as ever. Him and Annie had welcomed two more children into their family.  Annie tends to children herself with the outmost love and care; Nanny Mags passed away a few years back; she went out peacefully, surrounded by her beloved charges and of course her charges’ closest friends. Mother Odair is still alive and kicking; Annie always says she will survive all of us... I think thete might some truth in that assertion, although there was a time in which we all thought she was going to have a heart attack brought in by the fact that Annie had decided to... no exactly work... but, teach young bright minds how to do numbers and keep an organized accounting firm. Her first pupil being Rory, and a few more after him. Annie, although happy in her role of mother, decided that simply being a housewife was not enough anymore, Finnick saw the benefit of his wife starting her own tutoring program encouraged it wholeheartedly. 

Mother Odair survived the shock and the _shame_ of an Odair woman _working_ for a living, which she saw as preposterous, Annie was a Baroness and needed not to work for her own financial support. I think a Commendation letter from His Majesty, the King, was the only thing that saved her from losing her life out of embarrassment... yes... all of us, women, had to roll our eyes at that one, but deep down, we do love the old ‘pain in the neck’, as Finnick will usually say: If by association only.

It is certainly strange to think, that all that has happened in the last decade, has taken all but a few minutes of time in my still hazy brain to recount. I know for a fact that the next ten years will be also filled to the brim with events that will forever change and reshape our lives... after all, one such event is afoot, and it is the sole reason I had come seeking a word with my husband. I steal myself for a second longer, then push the gates I have been hiding behind of, complete open.  

“Majesty!” Gale greets me with laugher in his eyes as I walk closer to the group... His wife has been making crass comments on horse reproduction since I opened the stable doors, and apparently he finds her sayings hilarious. I shake my head, wondering what Johanna has done to my very reserved friend who disapproved of such language and behavior in women.

I smile with satisfaction at seeing the wonderful people that have made their way into my life and root themselves firmly into my heart over the years. They are my family... Some, like Thom, Haymitch and Peeta, quite literally; others like Jo and Gale and Finn, who are simply mine and Peeta's best friends in the world, are the family that we chose.

"My Lady! We were just wondering how you were faring after the visit to dear Rue." Says Johanna with a bow and a smirk, I simply ignore her, and nod at Gale, Thom and Finnick in salutation, as they bow in return.

Then I face Peeta, who is just smiling at me openly, blue happy eyes crinkling as he gives me an appreciative look, I can see faint wrinkles already forming around his otherwise still boyish features, they sit right in his face I think absently... better than right, he takes my breath away, he is so handsome! His smile is so sweet and bright it makes my knees shake and a rush of moisture dampened my underclothing, and I immediately remember the reason I went to see Rue in the first place,  the reason I rushed down here to find him, I know my face has just turned scarlet; he does not miss the tell-tale signs of my sudden flustering; always so attune with my discomfort and emotions, he bows at last and kisses the top of my hand softly.

“My Queen...” he murmurs into my knuckles, almost like he is saying it into my ear right before disrobing me for the night.

"May I have I word, my liege?" I say quickly, before I completely loose composure and blurt out something inappropriate right in front of our company. There is something of the utmost importance, that he needs to be informed about, before announcing it to anyone else.

"Of course, my Lady anything for my wife, Queen of my heart!" He says gallantly and guides me out of the stables with a warm hand placed on the small of my back... I have to admit, as much as I love the stables and our horses... at the moment, there is no way in hell or heaven I could stomach being in there for more than a few minutes at a time.

"So, I see you are entertaining yourself by mucking out Old Lucius stall... Should I move your lodgings next to his, until his passing, my Lord?" I tease him. Lucius, his very first steed, is finally dying. He lasted even longer than any horse we know, even my faithful Fortuna has been retired, after birthing the few foal we gave to our own children.

After a moment of actually thinking this over, in which I honestly believe he is going to accept the absurd offer, Peeta shakes his head and tells me it would not be necessary, it is not like we know for sure when will it happen; the animal has been so very stubborn he might still be alive out of pure stubbornness next year, we do not know!

"I much rather sleep in my bed, with my arms around my beautiful bride... If I get sad, she has this magic way of making everything better with a soft touch of her dainty fingers..." He winks at me, and I blush because although his words can be taken as sweet and innocent, the way his eyes are roaming over my body speak loudly as to what kind of touches he refers to.

"Peeta..." I warn in a harsh whisper.

"What? I cannot crave the touch of my wife?" He asks with fake innocence. "Actually I have half a mind to take a break from all this labor and drag you into the forest, my love... Having my way with you against a tree sounds very appealing to me right now, we have not done it in _that_ manner in a while, and since the children are busy with their grandmothers and Haymitch and the other adults are busy on other things... No one will miss us!" He inches slowly towards me in his predatory mode, his gaze heavy and dark and hungry, a shaky breath escapes my mouth and that is all the encouragement he needs. He is on me faster than a moth to a flame, I look around and spot the few Knights on duty, that are supposed to be our bodyguards, discreetly turn their gazes away. Every single one of them is aware, especially in here, than when their King starts advancing on me that way, tailing us is not such a good idea... most of them are not particularly keen on it; Being in Winter Home is like and aphrodisiac, almost as if the air itself is saturated with pheromones that destabilize our bodies chemical balances... We simply turn, quite literally into hormonal, sex craze people as soon as we set feet in the house. All Knights know to keep a respectable distance from us if they do not want to be privy to a royal coupling, which once more brings to the forefront of my mind the reason I came seeking my husband in the barn.

"Peeta..." I try to say while he half drags me, half carries me deeper into the woods. "Peeta, please darling, wait!" I say a bit more firmly, this gives him pause and stops to watch my face carefully... He is scared he has actually managed to anger me... The truth is... I am nervous as hell and I should not be, because this was bound to happen sooner or later, the way we had been behaving this season, it is not even winter yet! we have been here in Winter Home for about month and a half, and we had been coupling like bunnies in heat every time we are alone, somehow, I got careless! I was never one to oppose his advances, and just like it happened when Willow was conceived...

"Peeta... I have to tell you about my visit with Rue at the Hospital" he is looking at me apprehensively; he has no idea of what it is coming to him, because I have been cautious almost maniacally so, he is certainly not expecting this news, but I slipped... One little slip and here I am about to tell him, what all this inability to say No to a romp in woods has caused!

"It-it's everything alright, Katniss?" _Oh great! He is getting irrationally scared now!_

"Yes! Everything is fine! Everything is great even..." He sighs in relief, and then fixes me with a confused gaze,

"Then, is there something about the hospital? Or Rue herself?"

"No... This is about me" I say evenly, he eyes me suspiciously, his mouth opens to ask me more questions, but I cannot contain myself.

"Peeta, darling... I think it is time to give Rye his own big boy chamber, what do think?" His lips twist a bit, and he frowns in adorable confusion, I almost kiss him!

Finding myself pregnant with Willow was a shock, carrying her in my belly was the hardest time of my life, the fears that plagued me day and night were made twice more unbearable by the fact that I was a prisoner with no communication with the father of my child or anyone outside the walls of DeLoach manor. And then the fears tripled when in my teenage foolishness I declined to read my marriage certificate and idiotically believed Peeta had wed some other woman in my stead. Those truly were the worse days of my life; Willow being born female did not assuaged my worries in any way, but accentuated them, until Peeta said that Willow being a girl, was the greatest blessing God Almighty had bestowed upon him, having a daughter meant she was free to be herself and not a piece in any of the advisers of Crown’s games. Until the laws changed, and Women were allowed to take possession of nobility titles if they were the first born even after their parents had produced male issue afterwards. Princess Willow became Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess of Panem, first in the line of succession to the throne, leaving Ryen Birch who came a couple if years later to become Duke of Merch himself. 

Carrying Rye on the other hand was easier. We had an establish family already, we were legally married before the eyes of the kingdom, and we were allowed to remain together during the whole gestation. When he was born a boy, the Kingdom rejoiced, and the fears came back in a rush, all I could think about was how the power could go to his little head and corrupt his innocent heart. But once again, Peeta reassured me, everything was going to be alright, Rye is our son and **we** had all the power to rise him as we pleased, no one would meddled in his upbringing and we could instill in him all the noble sentiments we had cherish all our lives... My son is so much like his father, not only in appearance with his head full of golden curls, but also in his heart. He still inherited my grey eyes, and love for archery. He detests conflict. The girl is just like me in many ways, twin long raven braids that fall down her back, stubborn and determined, never shies away from getting herself dirty with muck or covered in flour... I won the bet of which eye color she would Inherit! She sports the biggest, brightest bluest eyes I have ever seen, she is her father's child! Thinking of my children, I wonder what the next one will be like, and thus I find I am smiling softly at the love of my life.

"Sure... If you think it is time he no longer sleeps in a nursery, of course, we can give him his own bedchamber..." He is now his gaze is starting to disappear into space, the look he gets when he can visualize something amazing in his mind's eye "He can even decorate it himself, just like we did with Will when we graduated her out of her nursery to give it to Ry...". He stops dead in his tracks and shoots me a questioning look, his eyes are big and pleading, I think he has figured it out already. I bite my lower lip, and give him a tiny smile and I swear I see the moment the gears in his brain stop rotating and fall into place... His effusive reaction is instantaneous, his arms are tight around my waist and my hands are holding on for dear life, digging into his biceps as he spins me around. I cannot stop laughing at his antics. I feel a bit dizzy and let him know, so he finally deposits me gently on the ground, but his hands are cradling my face and his lips are branding my skin with his fevered kisses whispering 'thank you's and 'I love you's. Finally, he stops kissing me long enough to seek confirmation,

"Katniss, sweetheart... You are with Child?" He asks giddily, and all I can do is laugh merrily at his enthusiasm, I know I have to give him a real answer... So I simply nod in affirmation. 

"Real!" I giggle and he sweeps me up into his arms and spins me around once again, anyone seeing him would erroneously think this is his first child, but, given the circumstances in which we learned about our first child, and how different things are for us now... I think a bit of healthy excitement is warranted!

After he has laughed and spin me dizzy, he puts me down on my feet and kisses me soundly...

"These kisses are the reason we keep getting this surprise pregnancies!" I protest, But, then his forehead is resting on mine, his contented sigh fills the air curling around our faces, and then his beautiful blue eyes, that have remained as bright and full of love as they were the first time he told me how he felt about me, pin me with intensity and feelings that go even deeper than the passion and love he felt ten years ago. His thumb caresses my cheeks and my hands go to lightly hold his.

Sometimes I cannot believe how lucky a woman I am. It matters not what this man is: a farmer, a Duke, a King... He is first and foremost my husband and best friend and the love of my life. He gave me hope in the darkest times of my existence, and we are now in a much brighter present, whatever the future holds I know we can conquer it together, as we have always done, so when he whispers the question, I do not hesitate in my answer even for a second... He will not go anywhere, he is mine for eternity.

**_"You love me... Real or not real?"_ **

**_"Real"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! The End! 
> 
> Quote from Mockingjay in bold/italic. Please come say hi to me on tumblr at alliswell21, or leave me a comment down below! Don't forget to check out my new stuff! Love you all! Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

**Author's Note:**

> My first published fic. Hope is to your liking!
> 
> Seks: Danish for Six  
> Quattro: Italian for Four


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